


A Spirit's call

by MrMaximilian



Category: Death Note, Death Note & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Anal Sex, Ancient Runes, Battle of Wits, Beyond is a flirty bastard, Blood Magic, Blow Jobs, Divination, Dream Sex, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff and Smut, Light Bondage, Light is torn between two hot men, Love/Hate, M/M, Magic-Users, Matsuda Is An Idiot, Prophecy, Rituals, S&M, Sex Magic, Supernatural Elements, Violence, Voyeurism, five elements, who will get into Light's pants first
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-07-18 14:23:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 41,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7318774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrMaximilian/pseuds/MrMaximilian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where people hold affinities to the four elements, Light is an exception. As a holder of the rare fifth element, he soon finds himself evading the keenest eyes of the law as his powers rapidly awaken. Meanwhile, Detective L is seeking the killer 'Kira', the murderer of elementals across Kanto, whilst also desiring Light's abilities for himself. How will Light cope with being hunted by both the greatest detective and criminal in Japan? Magic AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Presentation

Today was Light's presentation day. It was a moment that every 18 year old in Japan waited eagerly - or nervously- for, the one meant to define their life's trajectory. His father had been praying for years that he'd follow in his footsteps and become an earth acolyte, using his practical skills and pragmatics to climb the ladder of the NPA. After all, it was said that those who held affinities to earth made the best practitioners of the law. Sachiko on the other hand, was not particular about her son's affinity as long as he was happy. She herself was Soichiro's opposite, a compassionate woman who held considerable sway over the air and atmosphere they breathed. Sachiko could make any environment feel homely and warm, as well as rob an enemy of the oxygen they needed, if they were ever to touch her kids. Contrary to popular belief, people who held affinities to air were not pushovers. 

For once, Light was afraid he'd disappoint them. 

Like all teenagers his age, he'd tried to see beforehand what element would call to him, would bind itself to his very being and become pliant under his command. He thought a candle's flame might bend towards his touch, the earth beneath his feet might reach for him, and the air may just surround and comfort him like a blanket. But no, when Light had tried, nothing happened. Not even a flicker, or a whisper in the breeze. Yet he knew he couldn't just be element-less, he was Light Yagami for God's sake. Of all people, surely he was not destined for squalor and ridicule. It just couldn't be. 

Light would not be... Beneath others, especially when he'd been on the top for so long. He'd spent years mastering his facade of perfection, drawing his expressions into flawlessness as his smiles showed only sincerity, and his tears displayed genuine sorrow. Light wouldn't let it all be for nothing. 

Unable to shake the sense of dread rutting in his stomach, Light slipped on a smile as he stood by the doors to the clinic. It was a tiny concrete building with blacked out windows, intending to secure the privacy of the individual inside. They were also narrow, allowing only enough air for ventilation.  
The clinic itself was unassuming, despite being so significant to the people who entered it. The building had a simple buzzer to speak through, door clearly locked otherwise. Light considered it strange that the door was made of metal, rather than wood. How expensive is that door? Is it bulletproof? Why were they necessary?

Only one person may visit per hour to be tested, the staff inside sworn to secrecy about the results. After all, not all children were born with the affinities, and to be without element was to be condemned to the lowest rung in society. It was the unspoken horror that was never mentioned in public media. 

If Light believed in God, he would've prayed.

"Good morning, you must be Light." A gravelly voice said through the small speaker, watching as the door swung open in front of him. He wandered to the reception area, trying not to stare at his surroundings in case it made him look nervous. Scribbling his name on a list, a receptionist with bleach blonde hair and gaudy acrylic nails pointed to the test room. "We're already prepared for you, so whenever you're ready just step into the room. Try and relax." Light resisted the urge to scowl at her as he headed towards the door. Try to relax? Before such an important test? What stupid advice. Squaring his shoulders, he shoved the white door - which was also strangely made of metal -with reasonable force and tipped his chin up to mask his uncertainty. Light Yagami would not show fear, never. 

Inside was a large room consisting only of a pool of water, a fireplace, a bed of rocks and an empty jar. Weird, he thought it'd be more dramatic than this. And where were the testers? What was he supposed to do?

"Stand in the centre." A mechanical voice ordered, echoing his thoughts from a speaker above his head. Smirking, he complied by planting his feet in the ground and remaining silent. He might not have any idea what was going to happen, but he'd work it out. He would at least look like he knew what was coming. 

"The test begins now." Was all the voice said next, leaving Light to peer around with mild annoyance. He thought it was supposed to be a major test, yet here he was, stood in a practically empty room? What a load of over hyped bull-

The fireplace flared into life, heat surging towards him before the flames even licked at his skin. Gasping with surprise, he tried to take a step back, expecting his whole body to spark with pain, to literally set alight, to be singed and burned and God, it was going to hurt. He scrunched his eyes shut and waited, heat assaulting his fragile face. Man, his skin was going to be wrecked after this... 

What kind of test was this? This was so dangerous! Light didn't want to do this, afraid he'd be reduced to a crisp. He'd never thought fire was his element anyway, how was he going to stop it?

Shit, it hurt!

But the warmth receded, seeming to react to his discomfort. Like an embrace it welcomed him, settling on his skin with ease. It felt like his body coursed with this new energy, humming the sinews of his muscles to life like nothing he'd ever experienced before. He could get used to this.

"Your element is fire, the test is concluded." The mechanical voice piped up, causing the fire on Light's skin to shoot back into the fireplace, as if on command. Without the presence of the fire, his skin felt cold, empty even, like the fire belonged to his being. Part of him yearned to dash towards the fireplace, to somehow resummon its energy and feel invigorated again. It had felt so good, so warm and comforting to have its presence on his skin. Why did he have to walk away? 

Sighing, he dragged his feet from the centre of the room, giving into the childish impulse to kick the jar as he walked past. After all, it was just him in the room, what did it matter? The test was over now; it'd barely taken a few minutes. And although he was happy not to be without element, his affinity was fire of all things. He'd never get into the NPA now; they'd consider him too much of a wildcard. 

Except he fucked up everything.

The jar fell onto its side, allowing a small chink to form in the glass, the hissing of air indicating that it was escaping. What should've been a small release of air seemed to spiral faster and faster, swirling and spinning until a column of air was forming right in front of his eyes. He tried to take a step back, but the air seemed to have him bound, entranced at how such a small jar could contain such a powerful force.

"Yagami, you must-" the voice started, before feedback filled the room. His ears protested at the sudden influx of noise.

The air rocketed towards him, threatening to completely flatten him. An ache in his chest developed, lungs straining against the outside pressure. Shit, what had he done? There was nobody here to help him, and there was a fucking mini tornado surging towards him. Why did he have to be so damn impulsive? Maybe the fire would respond...

Flexing his fingers, he pointed his hand towards the fireplace and concentrated. He tried to imagine the warmth of the fire, demanding it to help him out. Light could do this; he could do anything. But the fire simply would not respond, no matter how much he flexed and stretched and made awkward grunting noises on the spot. 

"I command you to obey me!" He tried, but the fire didn't even flicker in his direction. How was he supposed to do this? Why don't they teach you about this in school? This is ridiculous. Not wanting to look a further fool, he held his hand up to the air, bracing for impact. There was no time to try and save face now. Images ran through his mind of ways for him to land safely without breaking his neck, if he got the chance. 

Apart from the impact never came.

The column which had threatened to siphon the air out of his very lungs completely collapsed at his gesture, leaving a faint tickle of a breeze drifting past his feet. It felt mischievous, playful even. Maybe his life hadn't been in danger after all, but he'd sure felt terrified. 

"I can't believe it, I-" the mechanical voice was replaced with a lone female one, cutting off the microphone in their utter surprise. "-Amanda will be in with you shortly." It tried to recover its composure, sending loud feedback again through the speakers as the woman coughed and stopped talking. 

Light blinked at his hands, turning his palms over to check they hadn't mysteriously changed in the last five minutes. Nope, he was just normal Light. What had happened to the pillar of air? Why hadn't the fire responded? Maybe air was his element after all... 

The door creaked quietly as the receptionist scurried in, avoiding his gaze as she shuffled towards him. Her voice was shaky when she spoke, all tones of professionalism lost the moment she stepped inside.  
"T-the tester would like you to try... the other elements, to see if they react. " she whispered, carefully pinching a handful of stones between her fingers and dropping them at his feet. She then jumped back, as if she'd given him a firearm. She looked like a feral animal trapped in a barn.

"Okay...” Light did not allow uncertainty to tinge his tone at the weird turn of events, collecting a handful of rocks and placing them in his palm. Honestly, he didn't know what to expect. Were they supposed to explode? Turn into bigger chunks of rock? He flicked them between his fingers as he wondered.  
The stones dissolved into grains at his touch, before reforming back into their original shape. Cool. 

"N-now the water." She mumbled, grabbing the bowl of liquid and placing it at his feet, once again darting back to the entrance of the room. By now, Light assumed the water would respond to him too, considering all the other objects had done something. But what he didn't know was what it all meant, and why the receptionist had paled at his display. Didn't everyone react to all the elements, but have one that was stronger than the other? He didn't understand why they were being so weird about it. 

Either way, he placed his hand above the bowl and instinctively scrunched his fingers. The water made small ripples, mimicking his hand movements. It was a pretty cool party trick, but it wasn't exactly mind-blowing. The water bubbled and bent at his command, but nothing more. As he manipulated the liquid, the stones dropped from his hands, no longer in his control. 

"There." He said to Amanda, who peeked up at him like a rabbit in the headlights. She stammered again, awaiting further instruction.  
"Y-you just wait here, I'll get Mikami." Blabbering, she sped from the room as fast as her stumpy legs could carry her, clearly afraid of what she had seen and slamming the metal door behind her.

Resisting the urge to smirk again, Light continued toying with the water, seeing if he could lift it out of the bowl. He turned his palm towards the ceiling, watching as the liquid bounced into his hands, yet his skin remained bone dry. This was almost fun, in a way.

"I've never seen a spirit acolyte in my years as an examiner." A deep voice spoke from the door, and Light turned to assess the new figure. He had shoulder length, unruly black hair that sat atop a pressed pinstripe suit. He dusted the invisible specks of dirt off his trousers, lips pressed into a thin line as he did so.

"Sorry, did you just say a spirit acolyte?" Light almost caught himself sputtering, before trying to appear composed in front of the mysterious man.

"Indeed I did. You're one of a kind, Yagami." Mikami smiled at him, pushing his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose. "It means you have an affinity for all the four conventional elements, and the fifth, spirit." It was clear from Mikami's straightened posture that he was curious, resisting the urge to step forward and scrutinise Light. The boy in front of him was indeed an anomaly, one that must be protected from those who would seek to harness his power. 

"What does it mean? Why haven't I heard of this before?" Light sensed there was something he was not being told, something that could prove to be his undoing. He just had to know, he had to discover what it meant to hold an affinity to spirit.

"Only extraordinary people can control all of the elements. Usually spirit callers are... Subdued or neutralised in some fashion. And believe me, you do not want to find out what tests will be performed on you if you are discovered. You cannot tell anyone of your affinity to spirit, and I will record you down as a fire acolyte for your safety. To be a spirit caller is to hold immense power." Mikami's tone was grave, trying to assert just how dangerous Light's situation had become, but Light had stopped listening after the word "extraordinary". He was... Powerful? Stronger than anyone else before him? It was excellent; it meant he had so much potential. 

"I understand, thank you for aiding me, Mikami." Light smiled with his appreciation, his signature grin that usually held any woman or man under his sway, revealing flawless teeth and posture. 

"It is my duty to protect my clients, and please, call me Teru." The older man stepped forward, slipping a card into the pocket of Light's trousers. "If you ever experience any difficulties, do not hesitate to contact me. I do not know much of spirit that is not myth, but I'm sure you will unlock your powers on your own." He stepped away from the door, allowing Light passage from the testing room. Nodding in response, he turned to the Examiner before he left.

"I'll be seeing you, Teru." With that, Light held his head high and exited the clinic, feeling more confident than he ever had before.

_Unlimited potential...._

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  


"I saw it myself, sir, there's a spirit acolyte in Kanto." A voice babbled into his ear, causing him to hold the phone at arm's length. 

"Thank you Amanda, would you do me the favour of offering his name?" The robotic voice responded, hunched figure attempting to straighten at the new information. 

"I can't, I'll be fired! My boss will know it was me!" Panic seeped into her tone, the stumpy secretary peering around the clinic to check nobody was eavesdropping. 

"Then this information is enough, thank you again." The dial tone echoed in her ears as she carefully placed the receiver on the table, making sure to wipe the call history from the company phone. Sighing, the blonde set the alarm code for the clinic, closing it up behind her. If she hadn’t been concentrating so intently on locking the heavy doors, maybe she would’ve noticed the way the air had still around her, how even the birds had stopped singing their melodies, how time seemed to freeze on the spot.

A cold hand curled around her shoulder, with a low, predatory voice murmuring into her ear.

"A spirit acolyte, you say?" 

She screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome to my fic!
> 
> This is my first work on Ao3, eek!  
> I'm a huge BXLight and Lawlight shipper, so stay tuned...
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> ~Max


	2. Awakening

_**Breaking news! Secretary found murdered outside presentation clinic in Kanto ******_

_****Police investigators have confirmed that they have found no magical signature outside of the testing centre, run by prominent fire elemental and tutor Teru Mikami. The lawyer-turned businessman has refused to comment. NPA official Soichiro Yagami has stated that this murder is indeed linked to the work of serial killer "Kira", affirming that the signature 'K' was inscribed on the victim's neck. The Official Testing Board for the Elements (OTBE) has encouraged of age teenagers not to be afraid of recent events, stating the examinations are as safe as they've always been. The real question is: where will Kira strike next?** ** _

L closed the newspaper with a sigh, handing it back to Watari and reaching for a slice of cake. 

"Did Kira reach the spirit caller first?" The elderly man inquired, looking at the man he had been a father figure to for so long. But L shook his head, shoving a spoonful of food into his mouth.

"M-not necessarily," he mumbled through chews. "They killed my informant, but she may not have told them who the acolyte was. Kira knows as much as we do." The situation was far from ideal, but it could've been worse. If Amanda hadn't given him the name of the prodigy, it was unlikely she would've told Kira, even under threat of death. 

"Has the NPA authorised my access to the clinic's files?" L asked. He knew the information would kill two birds with one stone: locate the spirit caller and hasten Kira's killing sprees. And L was frustrated with the case already; he couldn’t understand how in a world where everyone left magical traces, he couldn’t find a single mark or speck on the victim. Even if Kira were element-less, there would still be a void where they had been. 

With relief, Watari nodded. "It was only because of your influence as L that we could acquire such sensitive information. You will receive it momentarily." L hummed in response, stabbing his fork into the remains of the cake. 

“I must say Watari, I am unsure what my next move will be when I meet the spirit acolyte.” He mumbled, still reducing the cake to crumbles as he considered.

The only sign of surprise the elderly man showed was his eyebrows knitting together. “You want to see them face to face? You know how volatile spirit acolytes can be, especially one that has just discovered their power.” He warned.

“I am aware.” L responded monotonously, placing the remains of the desert on the table and chewing on his thumbnail. He didn’t want this person to be neutralised and lose their connection to the elements simply because they were now related to the Kira case. No, subduing them would be the last option; it was the only way he could still say that the law was fair. Yet spirit acolytes did present danger in their exceptional power, and he recalled the few statistics and studies performed on such individuals which proved that their abilities eventually consumed them, with many turning to insanity or death to seek release.

That hadn’t been disproven yet.

“Watari, have you had any experience with spirit acolytes?”

The man shook his head, eyes creasing with sadness. “I wasn’t allowed to accept spirit acolytes after the disaster that was B.” L felt his heart sink a little as he asked the next question.

“Do you know if one could be taught to master and control their power?” L was trying to be hopeful, wishing for another way around this situation that wouldn’t involve crushing the soul of the acolyte in question.

“I don’t see why not. Spirit is not much different from mastering any other element; you’d just need a good teacher.” Watari replied as a blinking light flashed on L’s screen, containing the file of the list of people who had visited the clinic that day. He scanned it with rapid interest, eyes drawn to one particular name.

_Light Yagami: Son to the Chief Soichiro Yagami_  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------

"LIGHT!" Sayu cried as she wrapped her arms around her big brother, who let out a small yelp at the sudden impact.

"Hi Sayu, how was school?" He smiled down at her, hugging her before meeting the gazes of his concerned parents. Of course, they wanted to know. Light thought he'd keep them guessing just a little bit longer…

"Boring, but I spent all day wondering what acolyte you'd turn out to be!" She chirped, clapping her hands together as she awaited his answer.

"Show us, Light." Soichiro demanded, wanting to see his son's newfound power himself, to assuage all the worries he had about his son turning out to be element-less. With that Light nodded, walking towards their living room.

"I know it’s not what you wanted, Dad-" he began dramatically, unable to resist adding more tension to the situation as he held his hand out towards the fire. "-But I'm happy." Drawing his hand into the flames, the Yagami family watched as the flames danced up his wrists, twining themselves around his arm and settling eagerly. Sayu gasped in surprise, whilst Sachiko beamed at her son.

"You're so talented already Light, I'm proud of you." She declared, stepping forwards to simmer the flames with a puff of air. Soichiro remained silent, only a small "hmm." Grumbling from the man.  
"Not to worry Light, you're more than gifted enough to join the NPA." He said after a few moments, before turning away to head to bed. 

"Don't worry about it Light, he was just worried that you'd turn out to be... Y’know." Sachiko nervously giggled, before ruffling his hair. Light tried not to scowl at his now unkempt appearance.

"ISNT THIS AWESOME?" Sayu yelled, watching with fascination. "If I become a water acolyte, we'll be a full set! Don't get too carried away, big brother!" She skipped upstairs, leaving Light to play with the flames as he pleased. 

He had to work out his next steps, how hard it would be to hide his new affinities. Of course, he'd heard the news about the incompetent secretary and couldn't help but feel her murder was somehow related to him. Yet that would be impossible, as Kira had chosen random clinics to target until now. It could've been a coincidence, but Light could not find it in himself to believe it. The timing was too perfect, it'd only been 10 minutes after he'd left, almost as if the killer had been waiting...

Shuddering slightly, he thought of his next move, knowing that time was his enemy. Slowly, a plan was forming in his mind, thinking of a place where the residents may just help out a spirit acolyte if they knew the truth. If he was charming enough, he was sure to win them over. He'd heard rumours from the older students in school about a club where magick could be freely practiced, despite the harsh laws on users. 

Light would be prepared for what was coming.

\--------------------------------------------------------  
A fine sheen of sweat collected on Light's forehead as the sheer humidity of the club assaulted his senses. A horde of gyrating bodies occupied the foggy dancefloor, shrouding most of their faces. The crowd danced in unison to a low beat played by a water acolyte, compelling water from the sprinklers to bend and flow with the rhythm. For some so polished as Light, he actually felt... at home here. The people around him seemed unbothered by their troubles, their burdens of possessing affinities for the elements, the energy in the club flowing naturally around him. It was almost as if the air itself was humming with power.

Part of him yearned for it.

Finding a bar stool in the corner, he waved at the waitress to bring him a bottle of vodka, deciding to sit back for now and watch the people around him. Light decided against mixing the spirit, wanting the pure fire of the alcohol to calm his nerves. With such energy available at his grasp, he tried to pinpoint the sources. A girl with bright blonde pigtails and gothic attire was surrounded by a swarm of friends, a thin layer of water collecting on the surface of her skin. Light concluded that she must be contributing to the humidity in the club.

In the other corner, someone who Light recognised as Soichiro's colleague - Matsuda - was creating small whirlwinds to spin a girl through an elaborate dance, smiling goofily the entire time. Light wasn't sure whether to frown, or approve that the officer was having fun. He'd read that air acolytes pursued higher knowledge, yet he knew better than to stereotype the people around him. Maybe Matsuda was bright, underneath that vapid exterior. 

Taking a deep swig from his bottle, he continued searching for someone he could target, who he could approach about his situation. It wouldn't do to just pick any old blabbermouth. No, Light needed this person under his complete command and secrecy. 

A chill developed around him, causing him to shiver despite the heat emanating from the dancefloor. He brushed it off with a small fire he formed in his palm, providing just enough warmth for his cooling bones. The burning heat in his stomach from the vodka helped too. 

"Nice party trick." The seat next to him squeaked under the pressure of the burly man who had taken his place on it. Armed with a charming smile, he playfully put out Light's fire with a splash of water. Scowling, Light stared at the intruder.

Red eyes.

He blinked, wondering if the strobe lights were making it look like the man's irises were oozing with blood. The guy must have contacts in, either that or Light _really_ did not know his alcohol tolerance. His gaze travelled to unruly brown hair, much deeper and darker than his own. In an odd way, Light found the guy attractive. Yet his demeanour was razed with a predatory air, one that would make ordinary people recoil. But Light stuck his ground.

"Excuse me?" He frowned at him, leaning back and sipping at his vodka.

A deep rumble came from the man. "You don't come here often, do ya?" He cocked his head, studying the boy in front of him.

"What's it to you?" Light didn't bother denying it. After all, he could defend himself - The large guy wouldn't see it coming.

The man smirked. "Because I know all the regulars here. You could just say I'm ...looking out for them. There is a serial killer on the loose, after all." His grin seemed to sharpen, before he extended a hand. "Name's Beyond." 

"Light." He replied, before grasping his hand. As their fingers brushed, what felt like a jolt of electricity shot up his spine, awakening every sinew of his body. He was more alert than ever. It seemed to have the same effect on Beyond, as he snatched his hand back in surprise, before carefully wrapping his fingers around Light's again, seeking the sensation. But Light backed away.

"What the hell? You can't just grab me like that." He snarled, trembling as the heat in the room called to him, begging him to use its power to save itself from whatever that was. 

"Chill out sweetheart, you're new to all this. Just trust me. What's the worst that could happen?" Beyond goaded, extending his palm and expecting the brown haired boy to comply. Everything about his posture spoke of hidden secrets, of intrinsic desires that could be Light's if he just gave in, and gave himself to the unknown. Seeing as he was cornered anyway, he decided he'd take the leap, but only this once. 

He entwined his fingers with the older man's. 

The world around him came into focus. The gyrating bodies seemed to slow, allowing Light to peer around in what seemed like a split second. It was as if everyone in the club had frozen whilst him and Beyond were at normal speed. Threads of brightly coloured energies, strings of purples and dark blues weaved themselves around the crowds of people, some pulsating around certain spots in the crowd. Like being underwater, the pounding of the music dulled as the threads glowed brighter. Glancing back at their conjoined hands, he realised the source of the threads was their connection. And Light couldn't find the motivation to move away; It was mesmerisingly beautiful. 

"We spirit callers should stick together." Beyond whispered, leaning himself closer and closer to Light, until his breath ghosted against his cheek. The shudder that ripped free from his body only caused the threads to intensify in strength, wrapping themselves around the arms of each body in the club. Yet everyone was oblivious to their presence. He could feel their energy, their desires and motivations trickle through him as an impending storm, eyes diluting with the influx of information and power. Their needs and wants were almost crushing, drawing the very air from his lungs. Instinctively, his grip on Beyond tightened with rising panic.

"Let go, darling." The words drifted into his mind, seeming to float around him as a set of lips pressed against his, so promising and full of... Life. Yet, he couldn't pinpoint the strangeness of their touch, how hollow they appeared to be despite brimming with such vibrancy. The paradox could not be comprehended in his current state. He tried to respond, to move against the warm and comforting presence, but his body was held in stasis, desperately attempting to suppress the overwhelming urges that flooded through him. With his mind paralysed, Light could not even try to understand what was happening, only able to focus on the words seeping through his very being.

So Light complied, and fell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I'd surprise people with an extra chapter today to get the ball rolling... thank you so much everyone for your nice comments and Kudos! It's inspired me to write more of this fic :)  
> so Light's already ran into Beyond, this can only mean trouble! -laughs-
> 
> Again, many thanks to all of you :D  
> ~Max


	3. Playing with their food

"Light? LIGHT!" He heard noise drift in and out of his consciousness, the prodding of hands as the words became louder, more urgent. His head was swimming, how was he supposed to latch onto the voices? He wasn't sure where he was. 

"Give him time, he's magically exhausted." A feminine voice responded, seeming to drag the deeper one away from him. The people seemed to be moving further back, for the feeling of being watched was ebbing.

What was going on? Was he dreaming? Dead? He couldn't quite pinpoint who had just been speaking, or if his body was intact. His brain tried to order his muscles to twitch, to move or respond, but none complied. Maybe he was dead…

"Open your eyes." His eyes snapped open, instantly cringing at the harsh light streaming into his... Bedroom? How did he get here? Gods, the sunlight was too bright - His eyes recoiled back shut. 

"Wha-" Light began, before a finger was pressed to his lips, the need to be silent overwhelming the exhausted teenager.  
"I took you home after you collapsed, do you remember?" The words were spoken with a chuckle, and Light could feel hands drifting over his, caressing them, even. Man, he hurt all over. His mind seemed to be fighting a layer of fog, forcing him to be quiet as he listened. All Light could do was groan in response.

"Good, because it's lucky I ran into you before someone else did. You opened your eyes in the bar - your third one. If I'd known you were a spirit acolyte at the start I would've gone easier on you." Apology seemed to lace his tone. 

"Hmm?" Light moaned, trying to process the fuzzy words being spoken to him, joints aching beyond belief.

"Don't you worry sweetheart." The pressure on his hand grew, cutting through the fog. "Just remember me, Beyond." The sensations were becoming numb, being reduced to the nothingness his body was currently experiencing. 

"I'll be back soon, my spirit caller." He heard the words fall into his ear, coupled with the rough touch of lips on his clammy forehead. The only other sound was the creaking of his window as a cold gust of air blasted into him, before silence engulfed him.

He was gone.  
\--------------------------------------------------  
"Hello Lawlipop."

The stack of sugar cubes toppled as L gripped the receiver, turning to his task force.

"Trace this call, now!" The frantic clicking of keyboards commenced as the group tried to locate the caller. His teeth gritted, holding onto the phone as a desperate lifeline. If he could find Beyond, it would relieve some of the dual pressure of searching for Kira and the spirit acolyte. With all the investigating they’d done so far, the only reasonable suspect L had was the ex-wammy’s student. It just had to be him – the lack of knowledge surrounding spirit callers could be the reason that L simply didn’t know how Kira was killing and leaving no magical trace. In all honesty, L was stumped by the case so far, and he resented it deeply. 

"Yes, this is L." He responded monotonously. When Beyond had called previously, he’d only provided useless information, a myriad of cryptic clues and hints which had led to nowhere. But just maybe he'd be helpful this time, guided by arrogance in place of logic. 

"You should stop seeking the spirit acolyte. They're mine now." L could feel the grin plastered on Beyond's face, grinding his teeth together in irritation. 

"We've got him in a 3 mile radius, keep him on the phone!" He heard Soichiro yell.

"You can't corrupt them, not this time." L goaded. "I know who they are, I'll protect them from your poison." Now he had a smile of his own, pinching a sugar cube between his fingers and plopping it into his mouth. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see Aizawa frowning. 

“You couldn’t do it before, and you definitely won’t do it now. I quite like them.” Beyond purred down the line. “And I just can’t wait to see all of them, they have quite the cute body. Maybe I’ll tie them to my bed, I know how much you liked it.” 

"1 mile radius!" Soichiro called.

“You killed Amanda, didn’t you? You’re Kira.” L stated outright, trying to ignore the growing frustration he had with the suspect, attempting to ignore the vile remarks.

Manic laughter could be heard through the receiver. "Oh L honey, we both know I did…Or maybe I didn’t. And your attempts at stalling need some work. I must be going now, I have a spirit caller to break in." 

"We got him!" Matsuda cried, the scraping of chairs indicating that some of the task force had already left. But from the dial tone on the other end, L knew that Beyond was gone, taking his madness with him. The Detective was certain the task force would be too late in apprehending their suspect. 

The sugar tasted bitter as he cursed.

\-------------------------------------------------

"Teru Mikami. If you are need in legal advice, please dial the number located on my website." A bored voice replied as Light struggled to sit up.

"It's Yagami." He grunted, battling the crippling aches that overwhelmed his body. 

"Light? What happened to you?" Mikami could hear the boy's pain through the phone, genuinely concerned. 

"I met another person like me."

Mikami swore, the sounds of rapdily shuffling footsteps echoing down the phone. "Shit Light, that's not good. I'm going to need to teach you to disguise your power. I'm sorry." Light's smile was rueful as he spoke again.

"I-its fine. Just teach me what you can." He choked out through coughs. 

"You'll need to lay low for a few days, it sounds like you depleted your magic reserves when you met the other spirit caller. Spirit acolytes often have... Violent reactions to each other." He explained, causing Light to snort. 

"Wish you'd told me sooner."

"I didn't think you'd find another spirit caller."

Mikami had a point; Light conceded.  
"Okay, okay. I'll see you in about three days."

"Sure. Just call if you run into any trouble." The fire elemental hung up, deeply worried about the fate of the spirit acolyte. As a lawyer, he had the capabilities to protect the fledgling, but only for so long. It would be truly impossible to disguise his power for a long period of time... Or would it? 

Light placed the phone back onto his bedside table, groaning as he rolled back under the covers. His mind couldn’t help but drift back to Beyond, trying to piece together the events of the previous night. The memories were so disjointed, like Light was looking through broken glass. The only clear image was of Beyond’s face, the sense of power that rippled through his body as they held hands. Light didn’t know what that power was, but he was determined to find out.

Nothing would be a mystery to him. 

\------------------------------------------------------  
"Yagami, do you mind if I talk to you about your son?" L called out to Soichiro, who had just shrugged on his coat to go home. However the man seemed unfazed at the request, turning around and leaning against the door with his arms folded.

"What is it Ryuzaki?"

Ryuzaki stirred his tea, looking down into the mug. "Your son was at the testing clinic the day Kira struck, wasn't he?"

Soichiro raised his eyebrows. "So? I thought you said it was unconnected." A frown creased his forehead. 

As he sipped, his gaze met Soichiro's. "I don't think so anymore. I have reason to believe that Kira was targeting Light." The older man gasped, taking a step closer.  
"But that's preposterous Ryuzaki, what would Kira want with him?" 

"Your son is unusually gifted for his age. And he is incredibly bright, which Kira may want to use against us, or to make sure he doesn't join the task force." L's tone was monotonous as he continued sipping from his tea. _And he’s one of the only leads I have for the spirit acolyte._

"So what can we do?" Soichiro had bent down to the Detective's level, wanting to grip his hand but refraining. Only concern could clearly be seen on his features. 

"Tell me, what is your son's affinity?" Ryuzaki probed. 

"Fire." _interesting._

"...we can work with that." L decided. "I believe in order to keep Light safe, we will invite him to the task force. He can also give us his opinion on the Kira case." Soichiro seemed to nod in agreement.

"Shall I tell him tonight?"

"No." L said abruptly. "I want to see him for myself."

Soichiro reluctantly agreed, leaving L to ponder his own thoughts. If Light really was the spirit acolyte, did that mean Beyond had already established contact, or was he bluffing? Even if he wasn't the one L was looking for, he'd still be helpful. He'd have to trick Light into revealing his powers, somehow...

"Watari? I need your help."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A cheeky short chapter for now! I'll update in a couple days with one which will definitely be longer!   
> Poor L... will he catch a break anytime soon?
> 
> And thank you to everyone who has left Kudos! You've made me a happy bunny :D  
> ~Max


	4. Omens

The small end table was set up as Watari shuffled the tarot cards, settling into a deep concentration as he compiled them together into a stack. He waited for L to sit opposite him, who was still staring blankly at a wall. Watari coughed to grab his attention. 

"We haven’t done this in a while." Was all he commented as he spread out the cards, politely folding his arms as L sat down, who crossed his legs instead of using his normal crouch. 

“I know.” L murmured, chewing on his nail as his skinny fingers grasped the first card, turning it over and showing it to Watari. The image detailed a castle on fire, with a man falling off the tallest spire. 

“The Tower, upright.” The elderly man called out. “There is going to be sudden change in your life Ryuzaki, a revelation or disaster you may not wish to seek.” L huffed, muttering under his breath.

“I don’t believe in these tarot cards anyway, there is little scientific evidence to back up their usage.” 

Watari’s only sign of disapproval was a furrowing of his forehead as he responded. “But they are uncannily accurate Ryuzaki, and you should know by now that this world cannot be completely explained by science.” He gestured for L to choose another card.

The next one had an image of two men holding hands, encompassed by the light of the blazing sun above them. “Ah, the Lovers, also upright.” Now L snorted louder. 

“Your reading can’t be correct today Watari, neither of these two cards seem relevant to our current situation.” L pointed out. “I don’t have time to pursue relationships, platonic or otherwise. This card simply cannot be connected to me.” 

The man waved his finger in mock disapproval, placing the card to one side. “You take these too literally. The Lovers can be a sign of impending friendship or significant relationship choices. It could just be a sign of good health. Although I have a feeling it’ll be the former.” L still appeared sceptical as he went to choose the last card from the spread. However, Watari stopped him.

The elderly man closed his eyes, the hum of energy surrounding him as small droplets of water shimmered on his skin. Even L could sense the thrum of power which rumbled from Watari’s body. He then gestured for L to choose his final card.

L grabbed the one closest to him, turning it over. It was a man gleefully dancing on the edge of a cliff; it was The Fool – reversed.

“I-I’ve never had that card drawn before.” He mumbled as Watari opened his eyes, nibbling on the nail of his thumb. He tried not to pale - did this mean he was going to be reckless, stupid even? The Detective was a being of logic and rationality, he found it incredibly unnerving that the cards indicated he was going to throw this away. 

“Tarot cards are not always in the foreseeable future.” Watari tried to reassure. “You still take them at face value; it could be that someone around you makes an impulsive or reckless decision.” L tried to feel assuaged by his comments, but couldn’t find it in himself to feel better. He didn’t want to be the fool, he was L. 

"I know Watari, I just have a bad omen about this one...” He sighed, instincts overwhelmingly warning him to flee, to escape from the imminent reality. Even when he had taken on the Kira case, he had not received the card of The Fool. But with an exhale he let the feelings recede, placing his trust in his long time mentor. 

"I'll be the one to deal with the omens." The inventor offered with a light smile. "After all, I am a water elemental." L nodded, still chewing on his nail. 

"Thank you." He smiled at the elderly man, rising to his feet and slouching to his quarters to finally sleep. Whatever the omen of would entail, L knew it wouldn't be good.

\------------------------------------  
Light stifled a cough as he slowly crawled out of bed, moving into his bathroom and staring at the mirror. His eyes looked hollow as he examined his sculpted features. He felt like a walking skeleton, arms straining as he raised them like they were loaded with iron weights. With overwhelming tiredness he moved away, running a hand through his limp hair.

He looked awful.

Sighing, he turned on his shower and stood beneath the warm liquid, feeling it trickle and weave itself around his clammy skin. It soothed his aching joints, thoughts drifting to the day ahead. He could still feel the lingering imprint of Beyond's hand on his, the raw energy that had flooded through his body, as sharp and defined as electric. Muscles yearning to feel empowered again, Light tried to wash away the sensation with water, scrubbing at his skin. The water seemed hesitant to comply, faltering as he commanded it to settle on his body, serving as a healing layer. He forced it anyway, straining as it finally obeyed and conceded, calming the raging soreness in his body. Luckily for Light, the effort was not particularly taxing on the spirit acolyte.

He wondered where Beyond was.

Would he come back? How did he sneak past his father last night? He was so... Different. Light could feel it before the man had even sat down; the dangerous air, the sensation of overwhelming power just rippling below the surface. Maybe Light should've taken it as a warning sign, but it had only served to entice the acolyte further, intoxicating as a bee to nectar. Beyond was the nightshade that would serve to be his poison. 

But why was he helping Light? Did spirit callers actually stick together because they were so few in number? Mikami had mentioned that people found with affinities to spirit were experimented on, their powers neutralised for their own good. Maybe Beyond was trying to help him. Yet the explanation seemed too simple; Light could see the toxicity in the world, how it oozed with corruption. Why would Beyond be any different? Everyone had their own agenda, even he did. It was unlikely that the other spirit caller was being kind with no other motive. 

Letting the water trickle away with a sigh, he shut off the shower and stepped out. He hated not knowing, not having the chance of gaining the upper hand. Even with the realisation that he would be more powerful than others, he still felt weak. Dragging a towel around his shoulders, he heated the fabric to help him dry off quicker. 

The sound of knocking drew him out of his sad stupor.  
"Light? I need to talk to you." Soichiro's voice filtered in, a frustrated frown creasing Light's forehead.

"Not now, Dad!" He called out, reaching for some clean clothes.

"It's important." Soichiro was now stood outside the bathroom door, foot tapping with his impatience. Light sighed, knowing he wasn't going away. 

"Can't it wait a couple of minutes?" Fumbling with his boxers, he saw the door knob rattling. Trying not to groan loudly, he kept the towel wrapped around his shoulders and yanked the door open.

Soichiro almost crashed through the doorframe. “What is it?” Light snapped, clearly peeved he had no time to tend to his hair and be left in peace. Why today, of all days? He was completely exhausted… 

“I want to ask you a few questions about what happened to you last night.” His father spoke calmly, leaning against the door and placing his hands in his pockets. He took the opportunity to assess his son’s condition, noting the pale complexion and bags hanging under his eyelids.

“Nothing, why? I went out for a few drinks with friends after finding out about my affinity.” Light explained smoothly, forcing his body to remain rigid in case he sagged to the floor with his weariness. 

“Matsuda saw you collapse.” Soichiro said flatly, eyes boring into Light’s as he tried to detect any signs of lying in his son’s expression. Light swore internally, but made sure not to grimace. Shit, time to play this off.

He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his damp hair with his palm. “Yeah I had a little too much to drink. I guess I went overboard, I’m sorry Dad.” He sounded genuinely apologetic, but the only reason he was sorry was because he got caught out. And by Matsuda, of all people. “I’m definitely paying for it today.” He pointed to his sunken features.

Soichiro seemed appeased for now, seeing as Light’s rather flimsy explanation actually made sense. “Who was the man Matsuda said you left with? He didn’t recognise him as one of your university friends.” 

Fuck, now this was going to be hard to explain. “He’s Takada’s boyfriend. She went home early, so I hung out with him for a little longer.” He lied through his teeth, retaining his implacable smile as he started to dry his hair. Light couldn’t maintain eye contact with his Father any longer.

“Is he a student too? What affinity does he have? Are him and Takada serious?” He probed, raising a sceptical eye at Light’s explanation of meeting the mysterious man.

“He’s a water priest, and the rest is none of your business.” Light warned, causing Soichiro to become yet even more suspicious of his son’s reasoning.  
“A priest at such a young age?”

Light nodded immediately. “Yeah, both he and Kiyomi took their priest exams at the same time, they’re both qualified. I’m hoping I’ll be a fire priest soon enough too.” Light had learned over the past couple of days that there was a level of experience each person had with their affinity. Everyone started as an acolyte, but when one can control their abilities to a significant extent, they can take their priest exams. Only masters of their elements could be called elementals like his Dad, however. It caused Light to wonder if Beyond was an acolyte, priest or an elemental of spirit; he couldn’t simply compare him to other spirit callers to find out…

“Light…” He began, unsure how to proceed. “I don’t want to discourage you from your ambitions, but you should be more careful with your abilities and who you talk to. You know there’s a killer hunting people who are particularly gifted with their affinities.” Soichiro warned, placing a strong hand on his son’s shoulder. Light resisted the urge to back away in irritation.

“I’ll be fine, Dad. The elemental I met at a testing clinic said he’d train me. He’s called Mikami, and he’s a lawyer.” Light added, knowing it would please his Dad that he was appearing to be responsible. Soichiro nodded in approval.

“Ah, Teru Mikami. I have encountered him before on many cases. He’s a good man.” Soichiro affirmed. “And it’s unlikely Kira will strike the same clinic twice, I suppose.” He murmured, causing Light to smirk to himself.

“Yeah. You’re probably just overreacting Dad.” He covered his Father’s palm with his own, replacing his smirk with a bright smile. Soichiro nodded again, stepping back and dusting off his suit.

“Well then, I apologise for worrying my Son. Let me know how your training goes with Mikami.” He bowed slightly as he left Light in peace. 

Finally able to get dressed, Light let out a sigh of relief. That could’ve gone disastrously. All he needed to do now was tell Kiyomi that he’d told his father she had a boyfriend (and that no, it wasn’t him), and see if he could locate Beyond, somehow. 

But for the moment, all Light could do was roll back into bed and pass out, bones aching for a rest after the exchange with his Father.  
\-----------------------------------------------  
Beyond sat in an abandoned warehouse, cordoned off from industrial use due to significant levels of asbestos. Not that Beyond particularly cared; it meant he didn’t have to murder anyone to find a place to hide out. He’d decorated it with the bare essentials, the furniture centred around a chalk pentacle he had drawn on the stone floor. He had originally murdered the receptionist because he knew she was one of L’s rats, bribed out of time in prison in return for keeping a watchful eye over Teru Mikami and the adolescents that came to Kanto’s biggest clinic. But he’d been hoping that she’d held some sort of power he could’ve used, but the woman had been element-less; He’d done her a favour by ending her pitiful life. 

But who would he strike next?

Stepping into the circle – being careful not to scuff any of its edges- he drew out a knife made of dark obsidian, carefully dragging it down his arm. A trail of blood oozed in its wake, dripping into the pentacle’s centre as he began to chant.

“Celestial spirits, heed the call of my blood.” The liquid that had pooled on the floor appeared to evaporate, consumed by the chalk in the circle and turning it a dark pink.

“Divine souls, I am your capturer and master.” Soft wails could be heard as he held his arm out, the red in his eyes sparking even brighter. “Yield to me!” Raw power reverberated in his voice, the very foundations of the building shaking as he shouted.

The two apparitions that were manifesting in the circle latched onto his arm, closing his wound and kneeling at his feet. One took the form of a teenage girl with brown pigtails, pulsing with a brown and green aura. She remained in the north area of the circle, smile rueful as she was forced to obey. The second was another young boy, dressed in all white as he curled his hair around his finger. He knelt on Beyond’s east side, staring at him with bored eyes. His whole being seemed weightless, barely tangible as white light emanated from his form. 

Beyond took a step to the east, centring his attention onto the boy. “I command you to lend me your power, search for this man.” Out of his pocket he drew a single chesnut hair, one he’d collected from the unconscious acolyte the previous night. He held it out to the air spirit, who carefully grasped it. After a few moments of silence, the being shut its eyes as the white glow grew stronger, almost blinding. Beyond could feel the air around him lifting, sweeping him into a different environment, the concrete walls fading. Instead of darkness, the sun shined brightly on his head, peering at the exterior of a brick house. Outside, a man with a crop of black hair stood with a notepad, peeking over the fence occasionally. He was clearly trying not to look conspicuous as he fiddled with his phone, as if he were waiting for someone.

“Take me inside.” Beyond ordered, as he felt himself pushed through the house’s boundaries. He bee-lined for the stairs, going to the room at the very end of the corridor. He walked through the walls to assess the situation.

Light was fast asleep as Beyond’s projection watched him intently, noticing the boy looked significantly more well rested than he had merely hours before. Good, his spirit affinity was helping him recover quickly from his exhaustion. It wouldn’t be long before he could approach him again.

It was all Beyond needed to see, breaking his connection to the air spirit and returning to the dusty room with a harsh snap. Closing the circle, he dismissed the spirits as he slotted the blade back into its holder. 

He knew the Yagami family (or Light) was being watched for some reason, but that wouldn’t stop him claiming the acolyte.

Light was destined to be his.  
\------------------------------  
L scrolled through the names of the suspects listlessly. After the tarot reading, he couldn’t help but feel pessimistic about his search for the spirit acolyte and Beyond. He couldn’t even confirm if Beyond was Kira, knowing that he often teased and joked about killing people to throw L off the scent of the real killer. And his list of people who had visited the clinic had yielded no anomalous results yet.

He pored through it again, starting from the top. Misa Amane – water acolyte. The up and coming model had made a scene at a magick club in Kanto by helping the DJ manipulate the water from the speakers and soaking the people inside. Some had complained of catching a cold, but none would dare whine in her presence. Apart from her unusually successful career, L nor the woman tailing her could identify anything suspicious. 

The next was a teen with bright red hair and goggles, known to L for low-level hacking. He had presented as an earth acolyte, using his newfound abilities to try and drive his car whilst intoxicated. Of course, what the acolyte hadn’t realised was that his affinities would not work within what was essentially a metal cage, causing him to be arrested by police the previous night. When questioned, he was incredibly cocky and intelligent – traits he similarly held to Kira – but displayed no affinities to the other elements. He had agreed to be released if he hacked for the NPA, with Soichiro taking the young man under his wing. L was sure that if the boy had been the spirit acolyte, he would’ve used his powers to escape the cell – L had deliberately made it so only a spirit acolyte could manoeuvre a breakout. He would be ruled out, for now.

That left him with three other suspects, with only one standing out to him. Out of the list, Light Yagami was clearly the brightest, having achieved nothing but perfect scores in his academic life. He’d also managed to be the freshman representative at To-Oh university, a feat that L admitted wasn’t easy. But this didn’t prove he was the spirit acolyte; it proved nothing.

L was working on a hunch, and he hated it.

After speaking with Light’s father, he’d discovered that Light had also been at the same club as Amane, wondering if there was a connection to the two. He’d learned that Light had collapsed at the bar, with Matsuda (who L thought was too old to be frequenting such bars...) checking to see if he was alright. He’d been with a man described as the boyfriend of Kiyomi Takada, who was close to Light. He’d decided to have the girl traced too, in case she turned out to be suspicious - which she already was for becoming a priestess at a young age. But L couldn’t help but feel something didn’t add up in Soichiro’s account of Light’s night at the club. L didn’t need glasses to see that Light wanted to be perceived as nothing but perfect, so it seemed odd to him that he would pass out a bar. It was far too irresponsible for someone so pristine, especially as the son of the Chief of the NPA. L knew it was still a hunch, but it was all he had.

“L.” Matsuda called out. The Detective span on his chair, facing the officer with mild irritation. What was Matsuda going to annoy him with now? 

But L’s annoyance dissipated when he saw that Matsuda’s irises were a clear white, expression devoid of his usual chirpiness. His tone was also much deeper than normal; Matsuda was experiencing a prophecy. L knew replying was useless, waiting for the air priest to continue.

“Death is coming. Another death.” He droned, staring blankly at L as he spoke. “They will be consumed by their own fire. Kira is coming.” Matsuda then jerked, breathing rapidly as his eyes returned to their usual colour, blinking at the Detective in confusion. 

“What just happened?” He mumbled, blearily rubbing at his eyes as he yawned.

“You had a prophecy.” L stated blandly, trying to keep a tremble out of his voice as he turned away. “But as usual, it was nothing important.” He muttered, shaking slightly as he rose to his feet and hunched over. He needed to think about what Matsuda had foretold, a deep anxiety pitting itself into his stomach. All he knew was that someone with an affinity to fire was going to be killed by Beyond. He didn’t know who, when or where; He was still clueless to the inevitable. 

L thought he was downtrodden before – now he was more pessimistic than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> L just can't catch a break.. yet. And Matsuda hasn't been an idiot for once! Let's see how long that lasts ;)
> 
> Thanks to everyone who has left kudos and comments so far, you're all stars c:  
> ~Max


	5. Spirit of Death

Groggily, Light tried not to rub his eyes as he stood outside the Kanto clinic, sunlight less piercing than before but still irritating. It’d taken him several days to feel more like himself, admittedly frustrated with the recovery time. He hadn’t expected his whole body to be so drained from the exchange with Beyond, wondering how such a small time of contact had caused him the equivalent of a never-ending hangover. Either way, he intended to be more careful around other elementals now.

Light doubted that would last very long.

He pressed the buzzer, staring at the metal doors as he briefly wondered who would answer. Did they replace the receptionist, or not bother? He soon found out as the door swung open, revealing a petite girl with short black hair. She smiled brightly at Light, stepping forward and enveloping him into a hug.

“Light, it’s so good to see you.” He stiffened, before wrapping his hands around her in a chaste hug. He hadn’t expected her to be so… friendly.

“Takada, how are you?” He asked, stepping back but keeping his palms on her shoulders. Her mouth started to form a response, when her eyes caught onto something rustling behind Light. Her smile was strained as she replied.

“I’ll tell you when we’re inside, we should get on with your training.” She offered her arm as he took it, escorting her inside. Instead of hanging around in the small reception area – where Light noticed there was no receptionist – she pointed to the testing room and pushed the metallic doors open.  
“It’ll be different to how you saw it a week ago, so just try to relax.” She echoed Amanda’s words as the acolyte took in his surroundings. The lights were switched off, the glow of purple candles dotting the large expanse of space. In the centre a small table stood, with incense producing an earthy smell which pervaded the whole room. Takada perched next to the incense, leaving Light to stand awkwardly by the entrance.

“I’ll be aiding you with your fire training, whilst Mikami will help with the spirit side of it.” She raised her eyebrows knowingly at him. “And don’t worry Light, I always knew you’d be extraordinary; I’ll keep your secret.” Light tried not to sag with relief, not wanting to show any sign of uncertainty in front of the woman he thought he had charmed this entire time. Needless to say, he didn’t like the role reversal. 

“We’re currently burning sage to purify the other magical energies that have been in this room, so the only power that will be summoned here are yours and mine alone.” She explained, drawing the smoke from the incense and sparking a fire in her palm. “The sources of fire are finite, but can be made immeasurably powerful with your will and concentration. The candles will be our source of energy; it’s up to you to bend it, mould it, and use it to protect yourself.” Light nodded numbly, approaching one of the purple candles and letting the small flame trickle up his index finger and crawl into his own palm. Smiling at the familiarity of the warmth on his skin – like an embrace after returning home – he let it bind to his arm, as if it belonged to his body. Takada watched the exchange, before adopting a narrow fighting stance. 

“Aim to hurt, not kill.” Was all she said, waiting for Light to make a move.

Was she serious? He could injure her, or worse; she could injure him. Sighing, he tried to draw the fire out of his fingertips, picturing it shooting towards Takada’s chest. He wasn’t exactly sure how to do this, but it felt instinctively right to do so.

As a small stream of fire trickled from his fingers, she danced to the side, batting it away from her body with ease. Cupping her palms together, she collected some of it and ricocheted it back to the unsuspecting spirit acolyte. Light held his hands up in self-defence, feeling the onslaught of fire about to overwhelm his body again. Dammit, she was so much more practiced than he was... 

The fire juddered to a stop in front of him, falling to the floor with a faint hiss. Light thanked Mikami’s foresight in making the walls and floor fireproof. Gritting his teeth, he strode to the nearest candle and gathered another flame, using his growing frustration as its fuel. The fireball was larger, higher this time as it seemed to gravitate with a force of its own, spiraling towards Takada with a noticeably swifter speed. This time she couldn’t simply direct the flames away from her, holding her hands out and absorbing its energy into her body. The action made her take a step backwards, but not faltering as she did so. As the fire connected with her skin, it seemed to calm itself, winding itself around her arms and settling. In short, she had managed to neutralise Light’s attack.

“You may think that anger and fury are the best sources of energy, but they aren’t. In a fight, who is more likely to win? Someone who is excessively violent, or the one who is always in control?” She made no move to fight back, clasping her fingers together and watching him with a keen gaze. It took only moments for Light to realise how to use her advice in a practical sense.

_I need to be calmer, more confident… I’m the spirit acolyte, not some powerless teenage boy._

Breathing in deeply, Light grounded himself through the earthy scents, taking a solid, balanced stance as he decided not to rush over to the nearest source of fire this time. Instead, he held a hand in its direction, his mind chanting and ordering the heat to be summoned to him, to his command. At first it faltered, sensing its uncertainty as it snaked towards him, curling up his legs like roots, infusing all but his torso with the fiery energy. He seemed lighter, more determined now than ever. Leaning back, he channelled all of the flames through his palms – mimicking Takada’s previous movements – and sent it directly at her. In his mind he was sure it would make an impact, it would hit and there would be no doubt about it. For the first time in this sparring match, he genuinely felt confident.

Takada staggered, gasping as she attempted to consume the fire again, unable to completely tame the concentrated energy that had shot from Light’s hands. Although she did not fall, or break into a sweat, part of her looked drained as she stifled the flame’s power and subverted it into the ground. She’d acted as a conduit, and it had taken its toll. However she was not completely spent or broken, reaffirming her footing and staying stood as she met Light’s gaze. Curtly, she nodded. 

“That was much better. I think Mikami will want you to hone your spirit affinity now.” She briskly let the energy in her body simmer, relighting the candles in the room and seating herself on the floor in one of the corners. For now, she would just observe, and only intervene if Light or Mikami were put into any immediate danger. She should’ve been impressed by Light’s display, but she expected it of him, if not more. Takada would make sure he was never able to defeat her, but ensure he could come close with practice. After all, no enemy would be lenient if they discovered Light’s true abilities…

“You certainly display a great deal of promise.” Mikami affirmed, the creaking of the metal door ringing after him as he stepped into the room. He stubbed the incense out with his finger, replacing it with a different smelling herb. Deciding to help, Light cleared the air in the room with a gust of air, controlling it just enough that none of the candles toppled with the pressure. 

“It’s lotus flower; my neighbour uses it to enhance her meditation techniques. It should help with opening your mind.” He informed, in which Light decided not to raise a sceptical eyebrow. He was being introduced to a world which did not make complete sense to him, and instead of fighting it every step of the way, he decided to embrace the new mysterious and knowledge he was going to acquire. 

“What would you like me to do now?” Light asked, standing in the centre of the room by the incense and waiting expectantly. Mikami rolled out a thin yoga mat, placing it under Light’s feet and indicating for him to sit on it.  
“Have you ever meditated before?” The older man asked, in which Light nodded.  
“Not much, but I do have practice.” Relief seemed to flood Mikami’s face for a chaste second, before he used his finger to readjust his glasses.

“Good, I’d like you to try and reach a meditative state. As you know, meditation takes a lot of practice and patience, but that shouldn’t be an issue for you.” 

"I see." Light crossed his legs, letting his palms rest on his knees. The smell was sweet, almost relaxing as he took a deep breath. The sound of trickling water filled his ears, soothing his senses into a state of close concentration. Mikami had tuned the speakers into playing such white noise, hoping it would aid Light's body into a meditative trance.

Kiyomi watched with interest, eyes scanning Light's body to observe any obvious changes. However Light did not appear any outwardly different, breathing in and out with ease. A sense of calm washed over him, embracing it. His body felt weightless, less tangible as he focused on maintaining his breathing. He could see why people meditated - it was incredibly relaxing.

"Mikami, can you feel that?" Kiyomi whispered to him, not wanting to disturb Light. Mikami responded with a brief nod, looking around and seeing the lilac candles were bending towards the boy in the centre, as if they were hands reaching for a taste of his abilities. The air around them seemed pregnant, as if waiting on Light's call and command to control it. They waited with baited breath.

Then Light slumped.  
\-------------------------------------------------------  
Blinking, Light rubbed his eyes as he peered around the testing room. He was lying on the floor, the candles having been taken away from the room. In the corner where Mikami and Takada had been stood a hooded man, chuckling to himself. The sound was hollow, creating a sense of terror at the core of Light's heart. He couldn't help but feel afraid.

"Hello?" He called out, stepping towards the cloaked figure. Odd, his body seemed so weightless...

"Hyuk Hyuk." The figure responded, stretching its arms out. Black feathers fell from its cloak, covering the floor around it.  
"This is getting interesting." it croaked. Light frowned, wanting to examine the figure but feeling an incredible need to stay put, to observe from a distance.

"What's getting interesting?" He asked, curious.  
"The one you know as Kira is going to strike again." Its laughter continued, yellow and red eyes blazing from under its hood. Light frowned, surely that was obvious?

"Can you tell me anything else apart from that?" He tried not to demand it of the creature, in case it ended with his demise.

"Hyuk. Maybe I could, maybe I couldn't. Depends if you're going to entertain me." It rasped, still chuckling to itself.  
"Look around you Light, what do you see?"

Light looked down, noticing a soft red string that stemmed from his ring finger. Following its path, he could see that it was connected to the hands of another, a person he'd seen before. An image of Beyond stood near him, prodding the red string with his other palm, before gazing up at Light. His lips contorted into a warped smile.

The string continued to trail past him, onto another hunched figure. The man seemed to radiate a blue aura, staring at Light with wide eyes. The person chewed on its thumbnail, as if considering the sight in front of him.

On Light's other hand, an orange string shot from his index finger, guiding him to Takada and Mikami, who were talking in hushed tones. He then heard the laughter of the creature again, who had wandered over to Takada and draped its bony arms around her shoulders. In seconds she was enveloped in black feathers, with Mikami still murmuring obliviously to her. She seemed indifferent, offering a polite smile to the Lawyer.

"Hyuk Hyuk. We'll meet again soon Light." As he blinked, the apparitions seemed to crumble to dust, leaving Light to fall, and keep falling until he hit a soft object.

"Light? Can you hear us?" He was aware that Mikami had a hand on his shoulder, opening his eyes to be met with a pair of concerned faces. He smiled weakly at them.

"Yeah, I just spaced out for a moment."

"Spaced out? You were in a trance Light, you were completely unresponsive." Takada stated, gauging his expression. As he seemed to be unharmed, she allowed Light to stand, dusting herself off. Uncrossing his legs, he rose, trying not to stagger as he adjusted to how heavy his body seemed to feel.

"Did anything happen whilst I was meditating?" He asked, wondering if they had seen any of the images or spoken to the creature.  
"No, we just observed you," Mikami confirmed, in which Light frowned. He was conflicted; did he tell them about the cloaked figure? Or did he remain silent for now? But then Light didn't know what he was up against, and it couldn't hurt to ask.

"I saw someone. A guy in a cloak, he covered the room in black feathers." The Lawyer seemed to understand what Light was talking about, speaking briskly. "That's not a good sign... Did it speak to you?" Light nodded, in which Mikami paled slightly.  
"What you saw was an omen of death, and if they spoke to you, it means they have a close connection to your spirit." Mikami said in a grave tone, trying to emphasise just how important this was.

"You've been touched by death, Light, and someone is going to pay the price."

\--------------------------------------------------------------  
"Let's begin the ritual, shall we?" L addressed the Task Force, who all nodded eagerly. Watari had drawn a chalk pentacle on the hotel floor, knowing fully well that he'd have to pay cleaning charges as he stood on the west side. Soichiro took his place at the north point, with Aizawa facing him on the south. Lastly, Matsuda tiptoed into the East corner, leaving L to take his place in the centre.

"What are we trying to achieve?" Soichiro questioned.

"We're going to contact a death spirit." L responded, causing the Task Force to collectively gasp.

"You're going to put us all in danger, this is just stupid!" Aizawa bristled, threatening to step out of the circle. But Watari held up a hand to stop him.

"You said you would give your life to catch Kira; it is a risk we have to take. And the likelihood of you being touched by death is slim." He said matter-of-factly, in which Aizawa calmed himself slightly and remained put.  
"If anyone will be touched by death, it will be me." L stated, nodding to Soichiro to begin the ritual. 

"Soichiro of the earth element, lend your power to open the circle." The Chief dug his heels into the tiled floor, a hum of green energy stemming from his being.

"Watari, call on the power of water to open the circle." The elderly man easily obliged, lighting the eastern point.

"Aizawa, I summon your affinity to fire to open this circle." With a huff, Aizawa formed smoke in his palms, allowing the southern point to open.

"Finally I ask for the element of air to be welcomed into the circle." Matsuda glowed with a faint white light, causing the whole circle to be united with it. The channels were now open for L to begin communication.  
"With our energy combined, we ask for the presence of a spirit of death. I welcome the risks with open arms, and I alone will bear the responsibility." The air stilled in the room, leaving the Task Force to hang in suspense as they awaited the arrival of such a spirit.

"You may come to me, embrace me, and mark me as one of your own. I stand representative of the element spirit for this ritual, although it is not my affinity." L said aloud, wanting to lure the spirit of death into noticing and joining their circle.

"You may call me Rem..." A cold wind whipped up around the Detective, carrying the soft voice with it. L tried not to shudder.

"Good day to you, Rem. We have questions for you." L bowed to the air respectfully, wondering if the spirit would decide to manifest. But for now, it simply spoke to them, reluctant to appear tangible.

"All questions come with a price, for you are not a spirit caller. Choose wisely." L hummed in response, considering his options carefully.

"Ask for details on Kira's whereabouts." Soichiro suggested.  
"Or who their next target will be." Aizawa added, prompting Matsuda to speak up.  
"What about who Kira is?" L sighed.

"Matsuda, you idiot. A death spirit cannot reveal the identities of whom it has marked." But it caused L to reconsider his question.

"Has one of your kind marked Kira?" There was a suspended silence, before the whispered response came.

"Yes. One of us has touched the one whom you call Kira. They embraced us, and are willing to pay the sacrifice." The comprehensive answer was all L needed to ascertain that Beyond was even more likely to be Kira, except for one thing.

"Is Kira a spirit caller?" This time, Rem did not respond immediately, as if debating whether or not to reveal that specific detail.

"Yes." Was all it said as an answer. "That piece of information will cost you greatly, Detective L. Know that he who is not a spirit caller should tread more cautiously in our presence. Do not seek others of my kind, for they will most certainly use your life as payment." In an instant, the connection in the circle was broken, with L dropping to his knees, sweat beading on his forehead. Watari rushed forward, placing a hand on his prodigy's shoulder in worry, but the Detective was smiling.

"I have confirmed who Kira is, and they are marked by death. But for now, I have been spared." This caused Soichiro to sag with relief, whilst Aizawa was clearly not impressed.

"That information was not worth potentially dying for Ryuzaki, we could've figured that out for ourselves."

But L was still smiling, excited that a risk had finally paid off. He no longer felt he was clutching at straws, fighting a monster much bigger than himself. L actually had a decent chance of defeating Kira now.

"You do not understand Aizawa, we have saved precious resources by knowing who our killer is, and that their affinity to spirit has connected them to a spirit of death. Whilst they cannot be killed by this connection, they must make regular sacrifices for it. We now have a motive and our criminal; all we need to do now is discover how they kill without leaving a magical trace." Matsuda nodding, punching the air.

"Yeah, let's catch Kira!... But who is it?" He asked with optimism, stepping out of the circle.

"He's called Beyond Birthday, and he is the only known spirit elemental."

\-----------------  
"Your next victim has been marked." The spirit whispered to Beyond, curling its arms around his shoulders as he stood in his warehouse. A smirk crossing his features, he faced the unmasked creature, bright red eyes gleaming with delight.

"Show me." He insisted, in which the death spirit chuckled.

"This one has to pay the price for encountering me, as he is not nearly as skilled as you are. The victim will be consumed by fire." Beyond nodded as a wavering image of Light opening the door to his house appeared, with him encompassing his little sister into a hug. His mother was smiling fondly. The crazed man blinked in surprise, wondering how Light had attracted a death spirit - _his_ death spirit - of all creatures. Beyond could only think that him and Light's fate were inexplicably intertwined, and from now on he'd have to work hard to reign the acolyte in. He had no qualms in who was sacrificed in his scheme, as long as the spirit caller remained intact. After all, he had something much bigger planned for the boy, and once trained, the combined prowess of both him and Light would be unstoppable.

In time, Light would be Kira.

"Thank you, Ryuk. Your sacrifice will be fulfilled by dusk tomorrow."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so the extent of Light's powers are beginning to unravel... and the Shinigami have made an appearance!
> 
> I hope everything makes sense so far - I sometimes get so into my AU that i don't realise that other people don't have the context i do!  
> L and Light will finally meet next chapter! shit is about to go down ;)
> 
> Thanks to everyone for reading!  
> ~Max


	6. Sacrifice

“Light, someone’s watching us. I wasn’t sure until now, but we’re both being followed.”

Takada had her arm linked through Light’s as they exited the University building, whispering delicately into his ear. Fighting the temptation to look around and catch the stalker out, he leaned into Takada’s mouth, speaking softly. 

“Shall we put on a show for them?” He murmured back, placing his lips ever so near to hers, his breath ghosting hers. It was warm, inviting. Takada’s life energy sparked as Light almost closed the distance between them. 

Kiyomi made a scene.

“Light Yagami!” She snapped, hands glowing a bright orange as she ripped herself away from him. “Who do you think you are? I have a boyfriend!” Huffing, she turned to stand in front of him, disguising her expression from the person watching. She couldn’t help but allow her lips to twitch into a smile. 

“I-I’m sorry Kiyomi! I thought you had feelings for me…” Light blushed, covering his face with his palms in apparent dismay. 

“In your dreams, sunshine.” She snorted at him, offering her hand again. “I’ll forgive you if you help me do my assignment.” Displaying his most shocked face, Light cautiously took her hand, before instantly snatching it away.

“Your hands are boiling! That wasn’t very nice…” he muttered, starting to walk beside her, but she only chuckled.

“Consider it payback. My boyfriend would have your head on a pike otherwise.” She carefully manoeuvred them around the Agent who was peeping out from the bushes – in true cartoon style – whilst trying not to make it obvious that she was aware of their presence. Takada thought that would be enough to throw the Agent off the suspicious amount of time they spent together, considering they weren’t a couple. It also supported their story of her fake boyfriend, which she wasn’t too bothered about since it served to benefit both her and Light. She got to spend more time with him, and he got to hone his skills; it was a mutual agreement she was satisfied with.

Kiyomi guided them to a secluded coffee shop, occupying a small table in the corner. She could see the view from outside, knowing the follower wouldn’t be able to keep watching them here unless he wanted to make it painfully conspicuous. Light, coming to the same conclusion, sat opposite her, pulling out their assignment and idly scribbling on the paper. Silence fell as Kiyomi tapped her fingers on the table, clearly wanting Light to start the conversation.

“Kiyomi, I’m worried about you.” He finally declared, in which she snorted. 

“I thank you for your concern Light, but I’m more concerned for you. You’re in far more danger than I’ll ever be since you’re a… y’know.” Her smile was strained as the Waitress placed a cup of coffee in front of her, sipping at it delicately. “If anyone else finds out about this, they’ll either want to kill you or harness your power. They say less than 1% of people have spirit affinities.” Light nodded, pretending to be writing as he refused to meet her gaze.

“But you don’t know what else I saw in the clinic, let alone the spirit of death.” He said to her lowly, eyes scanning the coffee shop. Luckily, they were speaking quietly enough not to draw any attention to themselves. “The guy I met in the bar was in my vision, and he looked… absolutely crazy, and we were connected by red strings.” Kiyomi made a humming noise, considering it.

“Legend says that those who are tied by a red string are destined to be lovers.” She raised an eyebrow at Light. “Is there something you’re not telling me? Are you cheating on me with my “Boyfriend”?” She resisted the urge to snicker at Light’s mortified expression.

“No way! I mean-, no, not at all. It must mean something different, because someone else was tied to it.” Kiyomi smirked, pleased to see Light so flustered, even if it was only for a second. 

“That’s a shame, I was hoping that’s what it meant, but folklore can be false.” Stirring her cup, she shrugged the topic of Beyond off. “Did you see anyone else apart from those two? What was the second person like?” Light opened his mouth, dropping his pen onto his papers.

“Well, he was a really weird guy. You and Mikami were-”

“Hey Light!” Kiyomi’s eyes narrowed, almost spitting out her coffee as she saw who had so rudely interrupted them. As Light had his back to the intruder, he couldn’t pinpoint who had the audacity to approach them, let alone act so friendly. 

“Ryuga.” She said shortly, eyes travelling up and down his messy figure. “I didn’t realise you were friends with Light.” Her gaze turned to her friend, raising a brow at Light. _Well?_

Craning his head over his shoulder, he finally looked at the man, before his heart stuttered in his chest.

_The one with the red strings.  
It’s him._

L was grinning wildly, chewing on his thumbnail as he waited for a response. Kiyomi had curled her lip in disgust, waiting for Light to rebuff him. Light noted he looked a lot more… eccentric in person, and he was someone he definitely would not associate with. Ever.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” He asked, cocking his head in confusion. Kiyomi snickered.

“Sure you do!” He chirped. “I’m in your psych class, Takada recognises me. Move up.” He indicated for Light to shuffle to the end of the booth, who begrudgingly obliged as the Detective sat down, placing his bare feet on the seat as he crouched. 

“It would be hard not to recognise you.” Takada muttered, placing her cup delicately on the table and leaning over towards the pair. “Can you go somewhere else Ryuga? Light and I were discussing something very important.” Light could tell Kiyomi was getting annoyed – her posture had stiffened, and her fingers had curled into fists under the table. 

“I see no need.” L responded flatly, staring at her. “Besides, we all have the same assignment, which is what you guys are doing, correct?” He placed his thumb on Light’s paper, leaving a wet print as he brought it back to his mouth. Gross. “We can work together.” He suggested, adopting an amicable smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“I’d rather drop dead.” She spat at him, rising to her feet and pushing the table towards them as she moved away. “I’ll catch you later Light, my boyfriend is expecting me.” Shooting a dark look at L’s back, she gathered her papers and strode off, tipping her chin into the air. 

L watched her go, making no move to take the seat she had just vacated and deciding to remain sat close to Light. The latter shifted uncomfortably, flicking the pages on his notepad with impatience. Why had this guy interrupted them, forced Takada to leave and is now saying nothing? How annoying…

The Detective scanned Light’s posture, noting how upright the boy held himself. He could tell he was a proud man, and his sheer presence was disturbing him. Good, maybe he’d slip up if he was on edge.

“Light Yagami.” He began. “Can you keep a secret?” Light tried to shrug nonchalantly, ignoring the coiling tension that was building in his stomach.

“Sure, I don’t see why not.” He responded, boredly peering out the window as he had grown tired of messing up the pages in his notepad. 

“I wanted to tell you that I am L.” 

Light froze, gaze snapping back to L’s, whose eyes were boring into his own, searching, analysing his every move. He couldn’t tear himself away, simply too shocked in that moment to do anything but stare at the great Detective. 

“Bullshit.” 

\-----------------------------------------------------

“What was that?” L cupped his hand around his ear, leaning in.

“You aren’t L, he wouldn’t reveal himself so obviously.” Light had recovered from his initial surprise, standing to his feet and preparing to leave. Whether he was in his vision or not, Light just found the man crouched beside him incredibly annoying. Knowing Light’s luck, the guy was probably batshit crazy. However, a bony hand closed itself around his wrist, unusually strong for someone of L’s stature.

“Your Dad recommended you. And besides, you can’t leave yet. I suspect you, Light Yagami, of being Kira.” The Detective spoke lowly, trying to catch Light’s gaze. Some of the patrons in the café were now staring at their exchange, whispering amongst themselves.

“That’s ridiculous. Why would I be Kira?” Light scoffed, clearly fed up with this pointless exchange. This guy clearly needed medical assistance; he claimed to know Light, pretended to be the world’s greatest Detective, told Light that he thinks he’s Kira and now he’s manhandling him? No, this was completely stupid, and Light was sick of it. He yanked his hand away with equal force, irritation boiling and foaming in his chest. God, he could just incinerate the guy right now and-

 _That’s what he wants._

Blinking at his own realisation, Light calmed the stoked flames in his body, dusting himself off and trying appear nonplussed to the growing audience to their conversation.

“You were present at the Kanto clinic only minutes before Kira’s latest victim was murdered. Kira is incredibly smart, just like yourself. On top of that, you lied to your Father about Kiyomi Takada having a boyfriend, as well as creating a scene in front of my agent to try and throw him off your scent just earlier today.” L stated flatly, oblivious to the patrons staring at him, his unkempt appearance and his apparent delirium. His playful tone had corroded into one of only sincerity. Of course he knew it was highly unlikely that Light Yagami was Kira, but he was still suspicious. 

He would figure Light out, one way or another.

“So you’re telling me…” Light began, sliding into the chair opposite L. “-that you have no proof whatsoever?” He finished with a smirk, raising a triumphant eyebrow at the Detective. “All the evidence you have is circumstantial; there’s nothing solid. And I’m not the guy you’re looking for.” Light leaned back in the chair, still smiling. 

“You’re going to have to prove it to me.” L deadpanned. “I’d like you to join the Task Force. If you’re not Kira, you’ll help us catch the perpetrator. I know you have a strong sense of justice, that you want to join the NPA, so you have no reason to turn down this opportunity. And if you are Kira, you’ll want to observe us, to know that every life you take will lead us closer to your execution.” L stood up, hunching over and staring at Light. 

He cursed. Light didn’t really have a choice, did he? Turning it down would only make him look more suspicious. Besides, if he joined the Task Force he could prove his innocence…

“Sure, I don’t see why not.” Was all Light said, gathering his papers once more and preparing to leave. “Is that everything?”

“No, I need to know your affinity before I take you on.” L mentioned flatly, chewing on his thumbnail.

“Fire, my Dad would have told you that.” He responded flippantly, once again irritated with the redundant question. “What’s yours?”

“Only idiots reveal their affinity.” With that comment, L turned on his feet and shuffled out, leaving Light to stand in his wake, mortified and most certainly pissed off.  
\------------------------------------------------------------

Dusk had fallen, and Takada was walking back to her house after a long talk with Mikami. They’d decided that Mikami would teach him more from now on, knowing that Light’s fire affinity was as strong as it needed to be for now – he’d need to balance his connection to the other four elements. She was still deeply uncomfortable with the fact she was being watched, and couldn’t help but feel that someone was out to get Light, and that they knew too much.

Her fingers curled around the malachite in her pocket.

Ever since she realised she was being trailed, she’d taken to carrying protective stones, intending to ward off negative energies. But even though her Father had also given her protective wards, she couldn’t shift the sense of unease that was quietly gnawing at her. Every time she stopped, she could hear rustling, a few steps to alert her that someone was still there, still watching. Kiyomi would never be alone, and whilst she didn’t usually mind the attention, she felt the immense pressure of keeping up her façade for Light. 

Stopping at a road, she expected to hear the footsteps cease as well, surprised when she was met with silence. Peeking over her shoulder, the dim lights did not illuminate any shadows, any figures that usually stalked her on her way home. Maybe they weren’t here today. The full moon almost seemed calming as it guided her.

Breathing a small sigh of relief, she relinquished her grip on the warding stones.

The rustles began again, causing her to gasp as she instantly sparked a fire into her palm, using the energy from a nearby streetlamp to source it. Her chest heaved with a surge of panic, turning to the source of the noise.

“I know someone’s there, I’m not afraid of you.” She called out, cupping both palms together to strike at the bush. The sounds continued, and Takada released her flames at the shrubbery, deciding that they wouldn’t get the first move on her, not this time.

The bush caught fire, its leaves disintegrating as the rustles died away, the flames consuming each inch of life that remained in the greenery. Cautiously, she took a step towards it, palms aimed to strike once more. The shrub had been reduced to char under her power, but there was something that caught the flare of the moonlight. Closing the distance, she inspected the shiny object, watching as it glimmered. It was a police ID badge – an American one – with the name Raye Penber scrawled on the top.

But there was nothing else to be seen, and she knelt in her confusion, searching the debris for any other items. This couldn’t have been the source of the noise – had someone just been here? The air had been still and dead for about an hour, it certainly wasn’t the wind trying to scare her…

“I’m sorry I have to do this.” 

Before she had chance to release her fire, a cool hard stone had been shoved into her palms, trapping her energy beneath it. She looked down at it, blanching as she identified the mineral. It was bloodstone, known for inhibiting the magical ability of any who held it. Kiyomi instantly tried to throw it away from her, but her hands had been grabbed, yanked and held behind her back. The rough rope scratched at her wrists as her attacker bound her arms. As she was kneeling, she raised herself, levering the strong grip on her hands and attempting to jump and kick her attacker. Yet a soft substance was curling itself around her legs, shooting from the concrete floor and winding itself around her legs. Whoever they were, they had used the roots growing underneath the road to trap her, rendering her completely immobile.

“Let go of me!” She demanded, trying to summon the fire in her palms, to singe and burn the ties that bound her. 

“If you keep struggling, I’ll draw this out longer. I could really make you suffer…” Certain that the girl couldn’t escape, he turned to face her, red eyes gleaming in delight. Kiyomi didn’t need a second to realise who this was. It was her supposed boyfriend, the one who Light had seen, the one that Light was inexplicably tied to in his vision. Her vocal cords were strangled as she spoke.

“You… what do you want with Light?” Her eyes widened in fear, paralysed as her powers refused to yield to her, to be summoned in her desperate time of need. She wanted to scream in frustration; she was truly trapped.

“You’ll see soon enough sweetheart.” Beyond grinned, running a hand through her soft black hair. In that moment he realised how youthful she was, feeling the brim and hum of rich energy that flew through her veins. She was the perfect target, the perfect sacrifice for his Spirit of Death. Her power was heightened by the full moon – like all potent magic users – and he could almost taste her ability, the energy that he’d be able to leech from her.

“Why are you doing this?” She barely whispered, still running through possible escape plans in her mind. Maybe she could use the moon’s energy to empower her fire abilities, and be able to breathe fire into her opponent’s face. With the bloodstone in her palms, he wouldn’t expect her to have enough power to do such a risky move, but it was all she could do whilst bound and forced onto her knees. 

“I’ll make this quick, for Light. I’m sure he wouldn’t want to see you suffer.” Beyond murmured, before placing a thumb to his lip and reconsidering. “On second thought, I don’t think he’d care.” He reached into his pocket, unsheathing the obsidian dagger. It seemed to repel all light, oozing a darkness that grew the closer it became to Kiyomi’s neck. He placed it against her skin.

“Either way, you’re still going to die.” In one quick slice, Takada’s mind exploded with pain as the signature ‘K’ was inscribed into her skin, the obsidian soaking up her blood, the very life force that she needed to escape this situation. Panicking, Takada summoned all of the fire she had left, breathing it out of her mouth in one motion. But the attempt was feeble, only a small hiss escaping her throat as the obsidian blade was still shoved against her neck. Through her desperation she could feel herself being sapped by the knife… What horrid curse was placed upon it? It felt like a parasite, leeching and stealing all of her energy, until thought became impossible, and keeping her eyes open took tremendous effort. She was fighting a miasma of fatigue, attempting to keep her heart beating, feeling her connection to the flames dwindle with every passing second. 

_Someone, save me…_

As her body fell slack, limp and unconscious under his hold, Beyond withdrew the knife, licking the edge for the sweet tang of her blood. He tried not to laugh as the blood invigorated the very sinews in his body, refreshing every inch of his being. The sensation was almost intoxicating.

"Your sacrifice will be remembered." He murmured, running a finger over her face to close her glassy eyes. Carefully, he reached behind her and grabbed the bloodstone, placing it into his pocket. As soon as the stone lost connection to her fresh corpse, the remaining energy that had been trapped in her palms flared into life. In seconds it grew and towered, consuming first her fingers, then her hands, inching further and further up her body. It only took a minute for the fire to reach her toes, setting the fire priestess ablaze. Ironically, Takada had been killed by her own raw power, just as the Spirit of Death had predicted.

Backing away and ensuring he touched nothing else, Beyond focused hard to quell the growing excitement in his body, staring at her rapidly charring remains. The execution had been perfect, and he knew he had more than sated the needs of his Spirit of Death, alongside the added death of the irritating FBI officer. That murder had just been for fun, but this one had a purpose. He now had Takada’s life essence, her power and energy to freely use at his grasp, and the day grew closer to when Light Yagami would truly awaken. 

"Soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .... I think some of you knew what was coming! The question is: What's going to happen to Light now? What's Beyond truly planning?
> 
> Also L managed to piss Light off in only a few sentences, that's probably new record for something.  
> Hope you've enjoyed reading! Thanks so much for all the Kudos and nice comments :)  
> ~Max


	7. Engulfed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a note to say that I apologise in advance for any typos or grammatical errors - It's very late here and I managed to get this written during my down time off work!

_Buzz._

Light’s phone angrily shook as he blearily rolled out of bed, taking a few seconds to collect his senses. He remembered he’d taken a bedroom in the current hotel they were based at, instead of taking the long walk home. Besides, it wasn’t like L was going to allow him to return home anytime soon. His Father had made reasonable excuses to Sachiko and Sayu, who were oblivious to Light’s involvement with the Task Force. He peeked at his phone, noticing the missed call from Mikami. He decided it could wait, considering his phone wasn’t supposed to be turned on anyway.

_Buzz. Buzz._

It started ringing again, vibrating on his bedside table and dropping to the floor. He groaned, rejecting the call and shutting his phone off; he didn’t want to end up being hassled by L, not now.

But Takada had never texted him back last night; it was unlike her.

Shrugging it off, he donned his usual white button-down shirt, pulling on a pair of trousers as he carefully opened the door to the lounge area. Only L and a red-headed boy in a fur jacket were awake, the latter tapping hurriedly at the keyboard as he brought up a video, unaware of his presence. 

“Hey L, you might want to look at this.”

“Hm?” The Detective peered over, taking his eyes away from a tasty cheesecake as he processed the CCTV footage in front of him. It showed Raye Penber cautiously trailing Kiyomi Takada, following her to the road where he would soon meet his demise. From the cameras, L could see a figure sneaking behind him, obstructing the view of Raye’s body as he was grappled to the floor. The Detective could only notice the glint of something reflecting in the moonlight as Raye crumpled, blood beginning to pool out from under him. The hooded figure then turned to the camera, red eyes glinting as he threw a rock at it. Through the cracked lenses, he could just make out the body being dragged away, leaving something shining out of the bush Raye had been hiding behind. Takada then turned around, fuzzy silhouette drawing her palms into a fighting stance as she scurried over to the scene of the attack, picking up the object. 

Then, the camera shorted out, causing loud static to spill through the room as Light felt the blood drain from his face. Was that Takada? What had happened to her? God, he was going to be sick…

He swiftly turned heel and shut his door, leaning his back against it and burying his face in his palms. The man who had been following her was dead; Had she received the same fate? He didn’t even want to think about it. Light tried to focus on the mumblings of the two Task Force members instead.

“-we don’t know if it’s Kira” The red head could be heard saying.  
“It must be, Raye’s body was found with the insignia earlier this morning.” L droned back, seemingly unaffected by the horrific scene that had just been played.  
“What about the girl? Light knows her, doesn’t he?”  
“We haven’t found a body, she may not be dead. Say nothing to Light about Takada. Not a word.” L ordered, in which Matt responded with a small hum. 

Light sagged further against the door, trying to ignore the coiling nausea that was settling in his stomach. Sure, they hadn’t found any proof that she was dead, but she hadn’t contacted him either. He couldn’t help but expect the worst, unable to escape the deep sense of dread that told him she was dead, and L would never tell him the truth.

But then the vision of the Death Spirit flooded his mind, how it had draped its arms over Takada’s shoulders, submerging her in its black feathers, laughing the entire time. Light was sure it meant something, and it wasn’t looking good. It couldn’t be a coincidence that it mentioned Kira before embracing Takada.

He was actually going to be sick.

The sound of retching alerted the Detective to the fact that Light was awake. Had he heard their exchange? He decided there was only one way to find out as he knocked on the bedroom door.  
“Light?” There was no response as the gagging restarted, causing L to frown. He knocked again, harder.  
“Light? I know you’re in there.” There was a pause.

“…Go away, L.” Was the rasped reply. L sighed, deciding to open the door anyway. Poking his head into the bedroom, he could see Light hunched over the toilet, hair hanging limply in front of his face as he went to vomit again. Like approaching a trapped animal, the Detective stepped closer, until he was close enough for Light to hear him without shouting. He thought he’d wait a few moments before announcing his presence, not wanting to startle him.

“She can’t be dead, she can’t…” Light gurgled to himself, coughing up bile as he began to slump, defeated.

“Are you okay?” L quietly asked, surprised when Light didn’t even flinch. The younger man didn’t look up as he sniffled, and L noticed a drop of water fall into the toilet. Was Light crying…?

“I’m fine, Ryuzaki; I must’ve eaten something bad.” He mumbled, not even bothering to try and compose himself or look at the Detective. Needless to say, L was unconvinced.

“But if you had food poisoning, you would’ve shown symptoms earlier than this, and I just heard you-“  
“Shut up.” Light snapped, gripping the rim of the toilet tightly, knuckles turning white. “You don’t know shit. You’re practically holding me hostage here, and I’m not even the guy you’re looking for, and you know it.” He pushed himself back onto his feet, still refusing to meet L’s gaze as he remained turned away. L hesitated, noticing how the air in the room felt hotter, tenser. He didn’t need to read Light’s expression to know that he was furious.

“I know that you were close to Kiyomi, and that she’s missing.” He spoke softly, as if Light was going to lash out at any second, to release the growing anger that was building and suffocating him. 

“You weren’t going to tell me that though, were you?” He spat, now facing the Detective in question. His eyes were bloodshot, remnants of tears staining his cheeks. But that’s not what L instantly saw. No, L saw a man who was haunted, whose pale face made it apparent that Light was certain she was dead. He repressed a shudder at the biting statement. 

“I didn’t want to say anything until we were certain what had happened to her.” L explained. “There’d be no use in getting your hopes up, it would be cruel.” He gazed at Light, sympathy crossing his expression as he placed a gentle hand on Light’s shoulder. But the younger boy snatched it away defiantly.

“She’s dead Ryuzaki. Trust me on this one. Kira’s killed her like he’s killed Raye Penber.” He said bitterly, a cold ice settling in Light’s eyes. In that second, his features fell flat, displaying nothing, the only traces of sorrow being the faint stench of vomit lingering in the air.

L sighed, not fazed by the fact that Light had obviously watched the footage with them. “It’s a possibility, yes. But she may not have been Kira’s target.” He pointed out, in which Light groaned in frustration.

“Don’t you get it? Kira wouldn’t leave any witnesses, especially anyone who could have potentially seen him kill. If he let her live, he’d be an idiot.” With that, Light’s features began to crumple again, spinning on his heel to empty the content of his stomach into the toilet. And L had no choice but to concede; he didn’t know how he was going to convince Light that there was the slim chance that Takada was still alive, that nothing had befallen her last night. L didn’t know what compelled him to do so, but he settled a hand on Light's back, feeling how sweaty it was beneath his touch as he rubbed gentle circles into the fabric. It just felt like the right thing to do.

"Am I right to assume you held some form of attraction towards her?" Light reluctantly shook his head, stunned by the sudden change in topic. 

"No, she was like a sister. She always had romantic feelings for me, but I couldn't return them." The man admitted, grabbing a tissue to delicately wipe his mouth. The smell was making him feel faint. 

"Why is that?" L knew it wasn't relevant, but he decided to keep probing, trying to distract Light from the imminent disaster, and the fact that he was curled around a toilet with L’s hand on his back. He was trying to be helpful, anyway. 

Light turned his head to meet L's gaze, amber orbs holding L's as he spoke flatly. “Because I’m gay.”

L paused, breath catching. Did this change what he thought of Light? No, not at all honestly. Actually, it made sense, considering Light had never had an official girlfriend.  
"I see." He said, much to Light's annoyance.

"There, you've questioned me. Can you leave me to grieve? I don't care if you think she might still be alive; I care about her.” Light’s stare was hardening, daring L to oppose him, to deny him the time he needed to process the fact that his best friend had been murdered.

"I’ll leave you alone.” He murmured, starting to withdraw his palm from Light’s back as he realised he’d been rubbing small circles into his shoulder blades, shoving his hands into his pockets awkwardly. 

Light admitted to himself that he’d felt appeased by L's touch, enjoying the brief respite from the shit pit he found himself in. As he watched L begin to shuffle away, he spoke up, voice croaking.

"L...Do you think I'm next?" The Detective halted, but didn’t look back. Good, because Light didn’t want to show emotions he should never feel: fear. Powerless. Weak. But L would know it was there anyway, taking his time in formulating his response. 

"It's likely." Light tensed, curling up instinctively. God, he was never going to live this down. 

"Then I need to master fire as soon as possible. Takada was a priestess and she didn't even stand a chance. I need to go further; I need to be stronger." Resolve flooded through his body, rising to his feet and dusting himself off. He inspected his face in the mirror, correcting the strands of hair that had fallen out of place. There, good as new. 

"I concur with your statement." L watched the transformation with mild fascination, noting how quickly Light had changed from a vulnerable boy to the man with steely resolve. It was so very interesting. "You may train with me, if you like. I'm a lot stronger than I look."

Light snorted in disbelief, running his eyes down L's hunched body. "I'll believe that when I see it."

"Oh, you'll see it alright." L quipped at the man, surprisingly earning a chuckle from Light, who seemed to have temporarily forgotten his precarious situation. He smiled back at the Detective, one he didn't have to pull at his mouth muscles to form. It reached his brown eyes, lighting them in a way L had never seen before. He definitely liked it.

"Thanks Ryuzaki." And as if nothing had happened, the normal Light Yagami snapped back into place, stiffening and straightening as he prepared to face the task force, who were most certainly waiting on the both of them to make an appearance. 

"Sorry guys, I think I ate something raw..." Light's voice drifted away as L chewed on his thumbnail, knowing he'd seen beneath Light's armour, no matter how brief it had been. He may not be the spirit caller, but he was likely to be Beyond's next target, and L was adamant on ending this sadistic game one way or another.

L would protect him.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------

The Task Force had split into two groups, with Aizawa, Matsuda, Mogi and Matt working on pulling up details about Takada and watching surveillance to see if she was spotted. They had vacated to another floor of the hotel that L had so generously rented out, whilst Soichiro, Watari, Light and himself moved into the penthouse. The magical wards that usually prevented users from practicing in a hotel had been lifted, allowing for its free flow. The room itself was sparsely furnished, cleared by staff only hours before. All that remained were a couple of candles, a sink, and some potted plants that had been too heavy to move. Watari lithely bent over and drew two chalk lines on the floor, about 10 metres apart. L stood behind one of the lines, the sunlight hitting his shoulder.

“Light, stand opposite me, we shall spar first.” He instructed, in which Light reluctantly obliged. From this angle, L’s face was shrouded in shadow, the sunlight blinding him of being able to read his features. The other man’s silhouette shifted, adopting a narrow stance. Watari and Soichiro placed themselves by the entrance of the room, only to intervene if necessary. Light could see Watari murmuring under his breath, likely making the area immune to fire damage in case Light became a human blowtorch. 

Light sighed internally. He didn’t know what he was up against, but a good offence was the best defence. Slipping his hands behind his back, he siphoned the fire’s energy from the candles and stimulated it in his palms, twisting and turning his fingers to manipulate it into a pillar of flames. When he felt he had full control over it, he sent it spiralling in L’s direction. For a long second, the Detective showed no indication of moving, simply standing in its path with an amused smile on his face. Confusion washed over the spirit acolyte as L remained still, until the fire was about to singe the cotton he wore on his back. Then he jumped out of the way, nimbly soaring through the air as he landed only a foot away from Light. They were so close that Light could hear L’s heartbeat, and L could feel the surge of heat that was pulsating from Light’s body. Their gazes met, and L held Light’s eye contact as a tiny smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Then L’s foot connected with his jaw. 

Throbbing pain sprouted from his chin, the force of the kick causing Light’s teeth to grind together as he was compelled to stagger to one side in order to mitigate the damage to his face. How could he not have seen that coming? L hadn’t specified they had to use magick, why had he assumed that he would respond with it? Irritation bubbled on his skin as he called forth his power again, channelling fire into his fingers as he curled them into fists. He lurched forwards, aiming to give the Detective a swift punch to the face whilst he was trying to return to a neutral stance. The blow caught L’s skin, pounding into the delicate flesh of his cheek. He stumbled backwards, holding a hand over it.

“That really hurt y’know…” He mumbled, peeking at Light with sad eyes. He almost considered it cute, how his eyelashes fluttered with disbelief. But he had started it, so Light was going to finish it. He sent his other fist surging towards L’s stomach, intending to wind him. Yet L danced out of the way, pivoting on his toes as he landed another kick to Light’s shoulder. Although less painful, Light growled with L’s evasion tactics, annoyed that the Detective didn’t even seem to be breaking a sweat. He reached for the other man’s foot, a deep sizzling noise escaping his fingers as they latched onto his ankle. L tried to wiggle his leg out of Light’s grasp, but to no avail. Noting he was beginning to shift uncomfortably, Light stopped trying to burn him, simply locking the Detective’s foot into place on his shoulder. Now Light was the one smirking, raising a brow. Want to quit yet?

L stumbled over his words as he was held in stasis. “Good, you’ve learned. Will you release me so you can duel with your Father?” In response, Light gripped tighter, considering it.

“That depends, will you admit that I won?” 

“Never.” L had a smile on his face, twisting his foot out of Light’s hold and darting backwards. He then bowed to the man, much to Light’s surprise. “All I wanted to teach you was that magic users should not be so reliant on their power, especially in close combat. You seem to have grasped that, so I am the winner here.”

Light snorted. “Whatever you say, Ryuzaki.” Soichiro had been watching the exchange intently, glad that neither of the men had gotten hurt. Swapping places with L, he dug his heels into the floor, brows furrowing in concentration. Although Light was beginning to sweat, it wasn’t going to deter Soichiro from sparring with his son. Light needed to get stronger, and this was one of the only ways he could help. 

“I won’t be going easy on you, my Son.” He warned, in which the younger man nodded with understanding, once again drawing power from the flames. Soichiro exhaled loudly, a low hum emanating from his body as the very floor around them seemed pliant to his will. However, as they weren’t on the ground floor and his distance from the soil was too great, the elder Yagami was at a slight disadvantage. Yet he wouldn’t let it deter him as he summoned the potted plants towards his body, tearing them from their containers and entrenching his feet into the floor with soil. Lifting his right leg, he sent a block of compacted earth in Light’s direction, solid and unrelenting in its force. Instinctively, Light went to dodge the attack, sending fire towards his Father. 

The fire connected with Soichiro’s skin, but it reflected away, evaporating as if it had only tickled. Narrowing his eyes, Light caught a thin but distinctive layer of earth coating Soichiro’s suit, acting as a barrier to his attacks. Singular attacks would be useless now, he’d have to break it somehow…

The floor cracked as roots shot out from the floor, trying to snare Light as he leaped away. They stemmed from Soichiro’s hands, who attempted to manoeuvre them around him, trying to force Light into a corner. But Light grabbed a root, sending shockwaves of heat to its source, pruning the plant and incinerating it from inside out. The roots began to wither, shrivelling back into Soichiro’s body as the floor remained uneven.

Knowing he only had seconds to respond, Light drew as much fire as he could from the candles, weaving it between his fingers. He was intent on making them as small and as direct as possible, so he could send them careering into his Father. Dividing the fire, he shot forth the fireballs, watching as they bounced onto his skin in rapid succession. With the onslaught of attacks, Light had hoped something would give, unyielding with the stream of energy that was being released and shoved into his Father. The shimmering on Soichiro’s skin was beginning to falter, small holes in the barrier appearing the more it was battered and assaulted by Light’s raw power. Finally, it dissipated with a loud hiss, leaving Soichiro as unprotected as his Son. However, the soil around his feet kept him grounded, even as singe marks were staining his neatly pressed suit. 

Using the last plant, Soichiro shoved his palms into the floor, causing the ground itself to shake and tumble as Light had no choice but to back away, watching as the roots shot forth again, sourced from only a singular plant. The display of ability was astonishing for him; he’d never seen his Father able to utilise his surroundings so effectively, reducing the opponent to a quaking mess in seconds. He’d have to move fast, or he’d be trapped again…

But he was too late, the leaves had already snaked behind him, darting for his hands and binding them to the wall. Before he could kick or burn them off, his legs shortly followed, strapped to the wall as the fire simmered between his fingers. Struggling against the restraints, he wriggled and writhed, trying to loosen the plants. Yet the more he tried to resist, the more the plants constricted against his chest, not quite bruising but enough to steal his breath.

_Wait, his breath..._

He exhaled deeply, holding it as his Father stepped closer, still in fighting stance as he held his Son in place. Grim determination was on his features, hardened by the deep wrinkles on his face.  
“Light, are you ready to concede?” He pushed his glasses up with one finger, hand curling into a fist as the vines clenched tighter, trying to stifle the remaining air he possessed in his body.

“No.” He rasped, clutching at the last reserves of energy he’d held back, part of him unable to harm his Father. But now he knew it was necessary, to prove to them that he didn’t need protecting, that he didn’t need to be under their surveillance. Light could feel the claustrophobia building in his chest, the need to be free from their piercing gazes, their suspicions and concerns. Light could take care of himself; he was fucking strong, and he didn’t need any of the Task Force babying him. 

Smoke was seeping from his nose as his determination accelerated, barely containable in his body as he focused more on his frustrations, on his pride. Light would never give up, especially with Kira on the loose. He would surpass Takada, he would become better – better than Kira himself – and he would crush them beneath his fingers. Nobody would do that but him, he wouldn’t allow it.

“I WILL AVENGE HER!”

It all happened in a microsecond; the release of blistering, tireless flames that exploded from his body, fuelled by the anger of his soul, the injustice of Takada’s death. It doggedly burst towards Soichiro, an unwavering force beyond Light’s control, beyond the comprehension of anything but pure outrage, a fury that could not be quelled by neither empty words nor soothing gestures. His irises had melted into pure lava, pupils wide as the power reached a crescendo, completely obliterating the bindings that constrained him.

Drowning in the heat, Soichiro stumbled back, further and further to desperately escape the overwhelming sense of destruction, of power that would reduce even him to dust. But the room was small, and the man was cornered by his son’s energy, desperately looking for an escape. He had underestimated his son – they all had. He hadn’t thought Light could be so impressive, unnaturally so. The flames had swarmed his vision, his exits shrouded in blistering sun. Feeling the smooth ledge of the window behind him, he realised what his only chance of escape was.

The splintering of glass snatched Light from his stupor, blinking as the energy flew from his body, muscles shaking as he struggled to stand. Where was everyone? And where was his Dad? The sounds seemed to reach him slowly, for it took a moment for Light to understand that his Dad had just jumped from a penthouse window to evade him. Oh God, his Dad couldn’t die like this, not now, he would never survive the fall…

“DAD!” Adrenaline sparked his limbs to life, dashing forward to locate the falling body of his Father, to do something – anything- to stop him from crashing to his death. But he was completely spent; his connection to the magicka completely and utterly depleted by his display, and he could do nothing but curse himself for it. He should not have broken; he should have relented. In that duel Light knew he had cracked, and that split second was going to cost Soichiro his life.

Shoving his torso out of the window, he stared down, spotting his father about to hit the ground. No, this couldn’t be happening, it just couldn’t! He would never-

Soichiro’s body stopped an inch from being bludgeoned on the tarmac. He croaked in surprise, craning his head to look at his son. His eyes widened, face paling as he seemed to have realised something Light hadn’t. Light peered down at himself, at his body, before noticing his hand was outstretched.

Light had used his air affinity to suspend his Father.

Panic, dread, and terror flooded through his system simultaneously, releasing his father to shakenly make a landing as he glared down at his juddering fingers. Shit, what had he done? Everyone, _absolutely everyone in the building,_ would have seen. Light had just blown his cover, and he knew he was completely and utterly fucked.

“Light I-“ L burst through the door, rushing over to the terrified teen, attempting to bring him back to his senses. But Light was a caged animal, one that had been poked, prodded and abused until it was ready to scream. And all he could do was flee, to run until his lungs caved in. He couldn’t be here, not now.

He couldn’t live a normal life again.

And L… L would _experiment_ on him; things would never be the same. He’d be a loose cannon, a threat to all he encountered unless he left in that very instant.

Shoving the Detective out of his path, Light sped down the stairs, the voices and sounds of the surprised Task Force a blur on his mind as he darted out of the building. He hoped none of them had the foolishness to follow, because he didn’t want to hurt any of them; he didn’t want to be a killer.

He’d never wanted this.  
“Light, Light! Stop!” He heard someone call, the words drifting in and out of his ears as his legs drummed into the tarmac, body on autopilot as he continued to sprint, as if he could outrun the catastrophe he had just created. But then a strong hand wrapped itself around his waist, crushing the air from his very lungs. Forced to rasp, his breath came in heavy pants, adrenaline fleeting from his system. He felt himself beginning to sag.

“Light, it’s just me. We gotta go sweetheart.” Words were being murmured, but they were unable to penetrate his mind. All he could do was fall slack, collapsing against the sturdy weight that held him upright. 

Beyond gripped Light’s body as he placed him on his shoulder, noticing how unconsciousness had consumed the boy so quickly. Whatever L had done, he’d pushed the acolyte too far, beyond his breaking point and further. And Beyond deeply resented the Detective for it, for trying to fuck up the plans he had for himself and the other spirit caller. 

L would never succeed, but his distractions were annoying.

“Oh Light, there's far more trouble ahead...” He chuckled to himself, a deep rumble that reverberated through his chest as he laid Light’s limp body into the back of an unmarked car, wheels screeching as he sped away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -takes a deep breath-  
> so.... thoughts?
> 
> I wanted to thank everyone for being so supportive, it really does inspire me to keep writing <3  
> ~Max


	8. Seduction

The unfamiliar scratch of cotton woke him first. 

The bed he was lying in creaked as he fidgeted restlessly, blearily blinking, eyes struggling to adjust to the dim lighting. The cramped bed and the fact that the thin bedsheet was stuck to his cheek should’ve alerted him that he wasn’t at home, but that was not the case. Rather, it was the strong, supple arm that was banded protectively around his waist that made him realise that one, he wasn’t alone, and two, he was most definitely not at his parents’ house. Feeling the tickle of hair against his neck, he dared to murmur out loud.

“B-Beyond?” He hoped his guess was correct, as the arm tightened slightly around his waist. The chest that was pressed against his back rumbled.

“Although it’s cute to see you confused, I thought you’d recoup your energy faster with me being close to you.” A cool set of lips was upon his neck, teasingly nipping at the skin. Squirming out of Beyond’s grip, Light rolled to face him, eyes narrowed suspiciously. 

“I call bullshit.” But he made no move to get up as Beyond smirked back at him.

“No, really. Having someone with a water affinity nearby will help you regenerate. You’re not feeling as bad as the first time you used your power, right?” Light tensed his muscles to check for aches, only finding a dull throbbing in his arms as he mentally examined himself. The layer of murk and fog did not cloud his mind like before, and he felt surprisingly chipper for someone who had depleted their magic… again. The memories of last night were seeping through slowly, but they were enough to make his chest constrict in panic.

“My Father and the greatest detective in the world know about my affinity, what am I going to do?” A finger was pressed to his lips, Beyond shushing him with a genuine – if not slightly crazed - smile. 

“Mikami and I prepared for this, ever since we realised you were being watched. We knew it was only a matter of time before you were discovered, so your teacher asked me to help.” Light nodded, still sceptical. He didn’t really know Beyond, only that they shared the same power. But maybe what he’d said at the bar that night was true; maybe spirit callers really did look out for their own.

“What’s the plan?” He asked, keen to not be kept in the dark about his future. He was determined to take control of his own fate, to protect himself so others didn’t have to baby him. After all, that was what had gotten him into this mess in the first place, so he may as well follow the path to see where it led. 

“I’ll tell you, but you have to go back to sleep, next to me. Everything will make sense.” Light snorted, stifling a laugh as he placed his hands on Beyond’s shoulders, pushing himself forward so they were chest to chest. He could feel the older man’s heartbeat accelerate for one brief second.

“If this is an attempt to get into my pants, I will punch you.” He warned, beginning to close his eyes. Light admitted he didn’t have much choice but to follow his lead for now, since he didn’t have any other ideas. Drifting into sleep was surprisingly easy, and Beyond was unusually comfortable, a welcome presence in the god-awful bed they were lying in. 

“I know.” The last Light heard was Beyond’s laughter, and a strong grip surrounding his body.  
\---------------------------------------------------

“So Light is-“  
“A spirit acolyte, yes.” L finished for Matsuda, whose eyes widened like saucers.

“No way! That’s so co-OW!” He stumbled as a hard hand barreled into his shoulder, the young officer groaning in pain. Soichiro was stood above him, brows crossed into a stern frown. 

“What does this mean for my Son?” He asked the great Detective, who hesitated, stabbing his spoon into some ice-cream. Licking the end of the spoon, he span on his chair to face the Chief. 

“Japanese law says that we have to capture him as soon as possible, and neutralise him. He is too much of a threat to society; the power he holds is far beyond what any human should possess.” The spoon flew out of his hands as Soichiro slammed his palms onto the table.

“This is my Son we’re talking about! When you approached me to set the trap for Light to reveal his power, you didn’t tell me you were going to practically ruin his life if your suspicions were correct! I risked my life for your hunch!” L hummed in response, unfazed by the obvious breach of personal space, gazing sadly at the spoon that lay dirty on the floor. He briefly considered using it anyway.

“I didn’t say that they were the laws I was going to follow.” L had a small smile on his face. “I was thinking that Light could help us catch Kira. We know our suspect is a spirit caller too, so he could provide us precious insight.” Soichiro appeared relieved, stepping back with an awkward cough.

“But what happens if it doesn’t work out? The NPA will have us in court!” Aizawa pointed out, bristling. 

“You need to resign from the NPA, all of you. From now on, you can no longer be officers if you want to work on the Task Force, so only I will be held responsible for my mistakes.” L stated, staring plainly at Aizawa. “Some of you have families to think about, and I will not blame you if you go.” The fire priest stood, preparing to shrug a coat onto his shoulders.

“I’m sorry Chief – I’ve got a child, and my wife is missing me as it is. I want to see my daughter grow up.” Soichiro nodded in understanding, allowing the officer to leave. However, nobody else showed any indication of abandoning him, much to L’s surprise.

“What will happen if we can’t control my Son?” Soichiro asked quietly, afraid of the answer. L was now boring his eyes into Soichiro’s own, placing his hands on his knees as he replied.

“Then I'll kill him myself.”  
\--------------------------------------------

The image rippled as it faded, and Light was brought back to himself, conscious of his own ragged breathing. Beyond released his hand as he stepped back.

“It was all a trap?” Light stuttered, holding his fingers to his temples from the strain, unsure if he was shaking with fear or utter anger. L had tricked him – _his own father had tricked him_ – and now he had to hide because of them, because he certainly wasn’t putting his life in their hands. The arrogant Detective just wanted to use him as a toy, as a means to an end. And Light wouldn’t allow it, there was no way in hell he ever would. 

“I thought you should see the truth.” Beyond replied, shaking himself off. They currently stood in the centre of the warehouse, the peripheries of the area juddering slightly as Beyond held his concentration. After Light had fallen asleep, he had linked their hands together so the pair would share this dream. It was only here that Beyond could show Light reality, his precarious situation as it unfolded. “L is a liar, and he always will be.” 

“How do you know?” Light raised a brow, still skeptical about how Beyond seemed to have all this information at his fingertips, especially when it concerned the elusive detective. Something didn’t add up.

“Because I was once in the same situation as you.” Beyond admitted. “L and I grew up in the same orphanage, and he was always predicted to be the great mastermind he is today. But when I presented as a spirit acolyte, L wanted to use my power to achieve his ambitions. He thought that together, we’d be unstoppable.” Contempt shadowed his posture as his lip curled, disdain engulfing his expression into one of unmasked hatred. 

“What happened?” 

“I went along with it.” The older man continued, running a hand through his hair. “I thought that I’d be L’s equal, that we’d rid the world of evil. But that was never going to be the case. The night after, the head of the orphanage – you’ll know him as Watari – bound and tied me to a wall. Being an inventor, he’d devised a serum that could transfer my power into L’s body. They didn’t even know if the process would kill me, they didn’t care.” He spat, with Light still listening intently. The room hummed with restless tension.

“So just before the process was about to begin, I summoned a Spirit of Death. I’d felt it following me for days; I knew I was being watched far before I presented as a spirit acolyte. That night, I was finally able to communicate with it, and it would free me from my restraints, for a price.” His red eyes lit with delight, the thrum of tension morphing into barely concealed excitement. 

“I’d been compliant, silent the whole time I’d been in the orphanage. They hadn’t expected me to resist, to attack. Once I was out of the bindings, it was easy to overpower the old man, to take the serum. I used it on L.” Light gasped, the cogs ticking away in his mind. Maybe L hadn’t shared or used his affinity in front of him because he didn’t actually have one…

“So I robbed L of his affinity, and made my escape. The sacrifice was the life of L’s protégée, my first kill.” Beyond licked his lips, taking a step closer to Light. Everything about his being reeked of a predatory air.

“Now I don’t want to scare you Light, but I do want to tell you the truth. I am a murderer, and to sustain my power, I must make regular payments to a Spirit of Death. You won’t have to, as long as you don’t use power that is beyond your means.” Light nodded carefully, closing the distance between them.

“I’m fine with that.” He said calmly, much to Beyond’s surprise. “I met a Spirit of Death too, he showed me that you and I were tied by red strings. H-he also embraced Takada, and I know now that he was marking her for death, and I wish it was something I had seen before.” Grief-stricken, Light tried not to hiccup as he realised how naïve he had been, how he had missed the significance of his encounter with the Spirit, how he was now stitched into the web that had formed between Beyond and L. 

“You would’ve seen Ryuk, my spirit.” Beyond informed him, curling a finger under Light’s chin as he tipped the man’s gaze to meet his own. “And we were destined to meet, you and I. It was planned long before we met. The red strings prove it; they are a sign of fate.” He held Light under his stare, stepping closer. But Light squirmed away, uncomfortable.

“I thought this wasn’t a ruse to get into my pants.” He muttered, in which Beyond rewarded him with a throaty chuckle.

“We’re in a dream Light, this has no bearing on reality. We could do anything we want here…” Murmuring, Beyond pressed his lips against Light’s, drawing him into a slow kiss. Initially he was gentle, cupping the back of his head with his hand. He let Light bypass his shock, before languidly stepping back. The acolyte stared back at him, confused. 

Man, that was…  
_Hot._

He had to admit that it was far better than the kiss that the older man had forced upon him when he was on the brink of fainting. This time, he actually felt a pull towards him, an inexplicable draw that gnawed at his stomach, that ravaged at his insides with a base need. The raw desire to connect with Beyond was what snared him back, dragging himself towards his body and planting his lips back on his. Beyond smirked against the kiss, snaking his arms around Light’s waist and pressing them together. He could feel Light’s heartbeat thudding rapidly with his anticipation, and he couldn’t help but slip his tongue inside Light’s mouth. The boy moaned, and he took the chance to delve deeper, exploring the depths of the sweet cavern that had been placed in front of him. If Beyond could describe Light’s taste, it would be one that was delicate on the surface, but disguised a raw energy, a crude power that begged of unlimited potential, of a future bathed in blood and fire. And Beyond wanted more, he wanted to devour Light completely.

The threads of purple energy stemmed from Beyond’s hands as they roamed the supple body in front of him, teasingly sinking under the waistband of Light’s jeans before resurfacing, nails dragging across his soft skin. The threads wrapped themselves around Light’s waist, his pupils dilating as an influx of energy slammed into him. Air thickening, his heart hammered against his chest, trying to breathe through the potent cloud of magick which swarmed them. It was all so intoxicating…

“If you gave yourself to me, Light.” He crooned, leaning in to lick the shell of his ear, eliciting a shudder. “I promise it’ll be the best sex you’ve ever had.” And the acolyte was mesmerised, blinded by the strings that surrounded them, engulfed in the scent of musk and desire which was beckoning to every fibre in his being to surrender, just for that one moment-

The sweat oozed down his forehead as he sat bolt upright, panting. There was an unmistakable tent in his jeans as he faced Beyond, completely aghast. However the spirit caller just lay there with his hands folded behind his head, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Offer’s still on the table, y’know.” His gaze traversed down to Light’s boxers, running his tongue across Light’s lips as he felt the boy’s breath catch.

“Not a chance.” Light scoffed, trying to shake off the rather awkward erection he’d gained from the dream, shoving on the shirt he’d sprawled on the floor last night.  
\---------------------------------------------------------

“Will you observe my circle, or will you be participating?" He asked Light as he drew a chalk circle on the floor, ensuring there were no breaks in the shape and stepping into the middle. Outstretching his hand, the other man seemed reluctant to accept it, shuffling from one foot to another.

“I’ve never seen a circle before…” He mumbled as a refusal. Beyond snorted at the response. “You worry too much, sweetheart. Just watch and learn.” There was only a tinge of nervousness in Beyond’s movements as he drew his knife from the holder, running the blade through a familiar path on his forearm. Light stared with awe as the chalk was tinged a rose colour, the area around them seeming to chill as authority seeped out of Beyond’s body. 

“Earth, the northerly point, I command your utmost obedience.” The pigtailed girl reappeared, lip curled sourly at Beyond as she remained stood on the north side, picking at her fingernails. Light wondered if this was normal for a ritual.

“You brought another caller here? Tell you what kid, get out of here.” The earth spirit called out to Light, who stared back at her in confusion. “Don’t look all puppy-eyed, just listen to what I’m saying. You don’t want to-“ Her lips continued forming words, but Light was only met with silence as Beyond had held out a hand to make her shut up.

“She’s just annoyed she has to serve me, don’t take her too literally.” He said dismissively, turning to the west side. 

“Air, I summon your intellect and prowess to the circle, you will be mine to control.” The boy dressed in white sat crossed legged on the floor, twirling his hair around his finger. He didn’t even bother to look at Light, staring up at Beyond in boredom. It was like all of this was simply a waste of his time, despite the fact that he was dead and had nothing better to do, Light presumed. 

“Finally, today I summon the passion of fire, to grant me its motivation and energy. You will yield to me!” And Light felt his heart constrict, whole body falling rigid as the south side erupted in a blaze of heat and lava, crawling across the floor until it reached the outskirts of the circle. The spirit surged forward, drawing the blood from Beyond’s wound and touching it to its lips. It then scooted back, taking the form of one of Light’s most trusted friends, a soul who was taken to soon, a girl who had been driven and determined.

Stood before him was Kiyomi Takada.

Fire seemed to spool at her feet as she caught his gaze, watching the rapid succession of emotions flit across his features: fear, confusion, realisation, betrayal, fury. His bones seemed weightless as he surged forwards, outrage pumping the boiling blood in his body, fist aiming for the traitorous, deceiving asshole that was Beyond Birthday.

“You son of a bitch! You killed her, You’re Kira!” And even as his feet passed the barrier of the circle he did not slow, unrelenting with his anger. First L, now Beyond? How dare they treat him like a piece of meat, he’d rip the hearts out of both of them! He would get his justice, one way or another…

But a sturdy force gripped his hand in their own, consuming the flames that had been spilling out of his body, responding to the rage that had occupied his being. He could not feel Takada’s ghostly hand covering his own, but it simmered him almost immediately. Beyond had not moved the entire time, feet planted in the floor and simply watching the exchange.

“Light, he can explain.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delayed update! this chapter was surprisingly hard to write, and i managed to break my foot :( so being bedbound has made me very restless and unable to concentrate for too long.
> 
> There will be lots of L in the next chapter! Thought Light and Beyond needed the attention this time ;)  
> Once again, thank you to you all <3  
> ~Max


	9. Explanations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I begin, I thought i'd inform you all that the canon ages of all the characters don't apply in this fic - just because it'd be too complicated :o)  
> ~Max

“Explain _what_ , Takada? How he murdered you and countless other people? He’s a monster!” Light could feel his hackles rising, fists clenched in brute anger as he spat his words out. If looks could kill, Beyond would be buried into the ground by now. But Takada remained nonplussed, still gripping his fists in her hand, refusing to allow Light onto his righteous rampage.

“Then listen to me. For once in your entire life Light, there’s a lot you don’t know.” She almost pleaded, trying to catch his gaze in her own. She cared deeply for her friend, imploring him to see reason, to allow himself to be explained to without overreacting. Finally the air escaped Light’s lungs as he sighed, yielding to her pleas. 

“Tell me.” He insisted, still bristling at Beyond, who was remaining unusually quiet for now. He thought it’d be better if he heard the story from Kiyomi anyway.

“I’ll start from the beginning.” 

\----------------------------------------------------------------

“Miss Takada? May I have a moment of your time?” Her maid rapped on the door lightly, interrupting Takada’s routine of delicately applying makeup as she prepared to attend her morning classes. Brows quirking with irritation, she rose to open the door, allowing the petite woman inside. The first thing she noticed was that her maid’s face was not chipper and bright like it always was. Rather, it had grown pale and mawkish, her skirt rumpled as she stuttered. 

“I’m s-sorry to interrupt, but this is really important, I mean more important than anything else you have today, and I know you’re busy so-“Takada raised a hand to silence her.

“Just tell me.” She responded flatly, tone concrete as rose flushed the girl’s cheeks, clearly embarrassed. 

“I had a premonition this morning. I-I saw you die.” Her voice had been reduced to a whisper as her eyes fixated on the floor. But the thin timbre of Takada’s laughter brought her gaze back to the woman in front of her. Takada was shaking her head from side to side, placing her hands gently on her maid’s shoulders.

“Premonitions can be wrong. Why did you bother me with this?” She felt like a stern mother scolding a child for showing them a dead rat. 

“Because this wasn’t like the others Miss Takada! It was like I was standing in your shoes; and the train you take home derailed and crashed! Please believe me!” The girl was trembling, biting down on her bottom lip in clear worry, eyes wide as she desperately tried to get her Mistress to listen to her. 

“Okay, I’ll humour you. I’ll walk home after I’ve finished studying with Light.” Relief flooded the maid’s expression as she nodded incessantly, scurrying back to the door.

“Thank you Miss! Have a nice day!” 

Takada drew her lips into a thin and demure smile, grabbing her textbooks and heading to the university campus.

And the very afternoon that she left the coffee shop, positively outraged by the behaviour of Ryuuga – which she was certain couldn’t be his real name – she hesitated when she found herself on route to the station. What could she possible lose by not taking the next rain? Some time, maybe, but it couldn’t do her any harm to walk instead. Besides, if her maid was correct then this decision might just save her life.

She flicked through the news on her phone as she wandered towards her house, half expecting to see the train crash appear on her feed, for messages to flood her screen and ask if she was safe, especially from her Father. The man didn’t check up on her often, but he knew her routine minute for minute, aware she’d likely be on the derailed train. 

Her phone buzzed to life.

 _Train crashed, you okay?_ Was all the text said from her Father, and she was met with a surge of mixed emotions. Thanks to her maid, she had managed to evade death, or at the very least serious injury. Part of her brain niggled at her that she should’ve warned the passengers in advance somehow, or tried to stop the train from running. But what could she have done as one person? And would anyone have paid heed to her words, considering she’d be a lone voice in a crowd of at least a hundred people eager to see their family, their loved ones? No, even if she had informed everyone who entered the station of imminent danger, she risked getting noticed, to being consigned as mad or insane. When it turned out that she was correct, the authorities would’ve been suspicious, considering her complicit in some plan to murder several citizens. Even though she could’ve rescued maybe one person from their fate, she couldn’t have taken the significant risks, especially when she was staying under the radar for Light.

Combined with the fact she was being watched, it was a recipe for disaster.

So she took the time to stop in a local park, watching the dusk be slowly consumed by twilight as she called her father, informing him that she was safe and had decided to take an alternative route home. He’d sent for a taxi to pick her up, but she kindly refused, enjoying the crisp autumn evening. 

She thought she had avoided death, but she’d been completely and utterly wrong.

And when her life had been drained from her body only minutes later, watching with watery eyes as what used to be her set ablaze, incinerating her from inside out, she finally cried. She could feel the veil of the netherworld, a soothing blanket calling to her, dragging her away into an eternal abyss. Yet something stronger chained her to her corpse, black char tainting the ground where she had once stood. Trying to move away, her hands met an invisible barrier around the radius of her body, feeling a cold palm curling around her shoulder. Her killer faced her with eager red eyes, a grin stretching from cheek to cheek. He spoke carefully as to not startle her. 

“When one is fated to die, they can never escape.”  
\------------------------------------------------------

“So Beyond has tied my soul to his own, allowing me to remain in this world to assist you. Although yes, I am dead, there’s nothing I could’ve done to change that.” Takada summarised, lips set into a grim line as acceptance washed over her features. “Being here means that I can at least be around to see you succeed, and I won’t become trapped by the afterlife until Beyond releases me. I admit that this has been hard for me, but in my own way I am still living.” Gently releasing Light’s fists – which had gone slack during her explanation- she stepped back, nodding to Beyond to inch forward and speak to the acolyte.

“Do you understand now? I have spared your friend her eternity of nothingness, for as long as I’m able to, anyway.” He outstretched his hands towards Light, a gentle smile crossing his features. But Light was paralysed, gaze flitting between the two in his utter shock.

“So you’re telling me that he _saved you?_ ” Kiyomi nodded, causing the younger man to bluster. “But he murdered you, Takada! He tied you up and cut you!” The fire priestess sighed in exasperation, wishing that for once, Light would actually listen to what she was saying.

“I was going to die regardless, don’t you see? Because of Beyond, I can still be present in this world, I can actually talk to you, help you, teach you…” she trailed off, tousling her hair idly with her hand as she allowed her friend to process the information she had given him. She hoped he’d understand sooner rather than later. 

“But you’re _dead-_ “ 

“Light, listen to me.” Beyond commanded, a dark threat underpinning his tone as the smile dropped from his features. “This is the best of a bad situation. She was always going to die, nobody can escape death when their time has come.” Sighing, the younger boy relented, realising that it was futile to argue with the pair. Sure, they had a point that Takada could only be here because of Beyond, but in his eyes, she was still dead. He didn’t know how he felt about the fact that Beyond had stopped Takada moving on to the afterlife, essentially trapping her to him for as long as the spirit elemental still lived. Surely in some manner, it was immoral 

Deciding not to dwell on it, his gaze travelled to the white haired boy who had been watching quietly, and the pigtailed girl who sneered at him. 

“Is it the same for both of them?” He jabbed a finger in their direction, in which the air spirit nodded. 

Yes, you may call me Near. I have been at Beyond’s side for two years.” He explained blandly, twirling his hair around his finger in boredom. As Light’s stare turned expectantly to the earth spirit, she raised her fist and flipped him the bird. 

“I don’t like any of you, so I’m not telling you shit.” She’d moved to the extremities of the circle, making it obvious she didn’t want to be there. It’s not like they could hurt her for being disobedient anyway. 

That’s just Anne, ignore her.” Beyond spoke flippantly, reaching for Light’s hand. 

“As you may have noticed, this circle has all of the elements present apart from water. Would you like to stand in the east or in the middle? You can lead from either.” Light nodded, finally processing the events he’d been told, grasping Beyond’s fingers between his own. He couldn’t deny the thrill his heart felt at the spike of power between the two, deciding to stand to Beyond’s right and taking the place of the water element. Gratitude washed through Beyond’s features. 

“Light, lend me your affinity to water, we’re going to congregate our power.” Reaching for his sharp blade, the chalk took on its pink hue as Light concentrated, a wave of his energy flooding into Beyond. 

“I have a plan for us Light. I can infuse you with the power of a spirit elemental without binding yourself to a spirit of Death. You won’t have to murder anyone for it.” Beyond explained, blood oozing and gurgling from his forearm as it continued to be consumed by the circle. 

“What’s the catch?” He was wary, eyeing Beyond with a degree of suspicion. It sounded way too good to be true… 

“You’ll see. Ryuk, I call you into the circle.” Beyond droned, as a thin mist began to settle. The acolyte watched with keen interest as the mist rose, manifesting into the spirit of Death that he’d seen only days before. Its piercing red eyes turned to him, chuckling as it took in the inhabitants of the circle. 

“Well well, nice to see you Light.” Was all it said to greet the spirit caller, kneeling carefully before Beyond.  
“Thank you for the sacrifices, the man was particularly tasty.” The older man laughed alongside the spirit, clasping his hands behind his back. 

“I’m glad our partnership is beneficial to the both of us. Would you please explain the eclipse ritual to Yagami?” Beyond’s tone had taken on a tone of professionalism, a formal spiel that indicated no close relationship with the death spirit. Of course, Light knew otherwise. 

Ryuk did not try to conceal his surprise as he turned to the other spirit caller, closing the distance between them and hovering only inches from the boy’s face. 

“An eclipse ritual can only be performed during a total solar eclipse. A circle must be created in the shadows of the sun, maintained by those with strong connections to the elements. When the eclipse ends, the leader will be consumed by the sun’s blaze, being granted its use should they withstand the soul-destroying pressure. It is said only spirit callers have the slim chance of enduring the excruciating pain.” Watching the blood drain from Light’s face, Ryuk cackled. 

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, the conditions for the total solar eclipse rarely collide.” 

Light was flustered, turning to Beyond in outrage. “Why would you want me to do this? What makes you think I could ever be ready for that sort of thing?” His fists were clenching, the spirit of Death’s image fluttering as his connection to the water faltered. The serenity and fluidity that resonated with the element could no longer find a place in Light’s heart. 

“Because you are more capable, far more gifted than myself.” Beyond said with nothing but certainty. “And when you succeed, you won’t be able to be neutralised by your enemies. Combined, we’d be the most powerful force on this earth.” The boy’s eyes widened, taking in the sudden influx of information that had flooded into him over the past day. If it worked, he would never be threatened by L again; he could live a life as a free man. For Light, there was no other answer. Determination filled his body, empowering the very sinews and fibres of his being. This is what he was destined to achieve, to become. 

“I’ll do it.” 

\------------------------------------ 

“Ryuzaki?” Soichiro piped up, dragging L away from his mental pit of depression. He’d hit a roadblock, ever since Light appeared to have vanished completely. They’d tried tracing the unmarked car to its destination, but the cameras had shorted out just as they caught glimpses of it. Beyond had been anticipating this, somehow, and he felt completely useless against the spirit elemental. 

What is it?” He mumbled, turning a lump of cake over and over in its plate, stabbing it with a spoon. 

“If we’re taking Kiyomi Takada’s death as a victim of Kira, it is clearly anomalous.” He announced, in which L refrained from rolling his eyes. 

“We already knew that.” He replied blandly, still staring down into his plate. 

“But all of the murders up until this point had been people with either a weak elemental connection or no affinity at all. Surely the fact a fire priestess was killed is more than just coincidence?” He offered, wanting the Detective to think about this information in more detail. Soichiro couldn’t allow L to fall into a depression, not now. 

“Hm, maybe.” Was all he hummed back, causing his mentor to gaze at him with a disapproving grimace. Gently placing a hand on Ryuzaki’s shoulder, Watari murmured into the Detective’s ear. 

“Think about Kira’s other victims, before he officially rose to fame.” Ryuzaki’s eyes brightened as the inference of Watari’s words hit him. There had only been three killings that did not fit the pattern of choosing targets who were elementless: Anne, Near and Kiyomi. But what was the connection between them? The first two had been Whammy students, and he had always assumed that Beyond had killed them to spite him, and hinder his chances of finding a suitable successor. Anne had also been murdered years ago now, and none of the three had anything in common apart from being proficient with their affinities. 

Unless…  
A smile drew upon his lips as his brain processed the link at rapid speed. They were all proficient in their elements –that much was true – but the key was that their affinities were different. Anne had a close connection to earth, Near with air, and Takada with fire. The killings in between were to disguise and shroud this pattern without collecting more people by mistake. It all made sense now, and L finally understood where his ex-successor was likely to strike next. The only element left was water, with Beyond himself representing spirit. L still didn’t know why he’d chosen his victims and how he seemed to sap them of their life essence, but he was one step closer to solving the Kira case. 

“Soichiro? I would like permission to search for your son, and return him here unharmed. We’re going to need his help.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so... sorry this took me so long to write! It was actually really difficult, so hopefully it doesn't seem too rushed.  
> Again, you guys are the best, thanks for the kudos <3
> 
> ~Max


	10. Oaths undertaken

“Are you sure about this?” Takada gazed at him with a hint of concern, wanting to reach for Light’s hands but finding herself confined to the small circle Beyond had summoned for her. He’d allowed the pair some privacy as he allowed the prodigy to understand everything that was happening all around him. They had gone to great lengths to discuss their next move, and Light had formulated most of the plan by himself. He nodded with certainty, offering her a reassuring smile.

“You worry too much Kiyomi, I’ll be fine.” 

“You don’t have to do this, you don’t need to put yourself through this ritual.” She said calmly, clasping her fingers together and letting out a sigh. He frowned at her. "You'll be strong without it; I know you will." 

“Do you not believe in me?” 

“Of _course_ I do, it’s just-“

“Then trust me; it’ll be alright.” He stepped towards her, entering the circle and enveloping her ghostly figure into a hug. It was strange- she felt almost tangible beneath his touch, but the larger part of his mind was reminding him that her body was no more, and he may as well be hugging a dense space of air. 

It still comforted him, anyway.

Takada smiled at him, one that usually failed to reach the deep blue of her eyes. But she seemed genuinely confident in her friend. The situation had brought out something softer in Light, a side she had not seen until now. Before he had acted arrogant and self-righteous, but now he appeared to have accepted that his façade was unnecessary in this particular instance. Part of her was intensely grateful that she could be present to see it.

“Good luck, we’ll be here.” She said to him, watching as he turned his back. He lifted his hand to wave goodbye to them. In mere minutes Light’s presence left the warehouse, leaving it eerily empty as Beyond strode up to Takada with a mischievous smirk.

“You clearly have the hots for him, shame you can’t get in his pants now.” He wiggled his eyebrows at the girl, whose face grew crimson with the insinuation. But then she wielded a smirk of her own.

“Neither can you - you lost your chance as soon as walked out.”

Fuck, she was right.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------

“L, you have received a call from a member of the Task Force.” Watari handed L his cell phone, brows raised quizzically. The Detective’s eyes scanned the room, counting Matsuda, Mogi, Ide and Soichiro. He didn’t understand, wasn’t everyone here?

He hung the phone by his ear, flipping it open and remaining silent. Maybe it was Beyond, taunting him again. The guy was good at wasting his time…

“R-Ryuzaki?” a lone voice filled the room, and L’s eyes widened. He nodded to Watari to begin tracing the cell signal. 

“Light, are you alright?” He asked with no clear concern in his voice, tapping his fingers against the table. Light had disappeared off their radar for a couple of days, and L had concluded that the acolyte had worked out how he could shroud his presence from the air elementals he’d had looking for him, who were known to be prolific trackers. On the other hand, Matsuda had been leading the search, meaning the whole endeavour had probably been a wasted effort. L was pretty sure he could hide multiple dead bodies from the officer, let alone the magical signature of a spirit caller.

“Yes, I’m fine. I know you’re tracking me now, but I need you to promise that you’ll protect me from the law. I panicked because I thought you’d neutralise me if you knew…” Light trailed off, sounding unusually distant for the cocky man. 

“I cannot simply ignore the law for you Light, so you can either come into custody quietly or I will personally ensure that your affinities are stripped from you.” He said flatly, watching as Soichiro’s fists clenched, shaking his head. It was clear that the Chief had lost some of his faith in the Great Detective, but L knew he would redeem himself eventually. Besides, Soichiro was too much of a law-abiding citizen to defy it for his child; it was why he hadn’t quit the Task Force when Light fled.

“I will only let myself be apprehended if you do not neutralise my powers.” Light bargained, gripping his mobile between his fingers as the distant sound of sirens wailed. “And I know you’ll need me to catch Kira.” It was the only chip he had in his deck, so Light would've been a fool not to use it. 

“Then that can be agreed, for now.” Was all L said before the line went dead. Smirking with his triumph, he stepped out of the alley he'd been hiding in and greeted the pursuing car that contained his father and Matsuda. He waved at them amicably as they pulled to a stop.

“Hey Light!” Matsuda called as he closed the passenger door, earning a stern glare from Soichiro. Jabbing his elbow into the officer’s side, Matsuda let out a yelp of pain. Growing quiet, Soichiro examined his son, seeing no imminent signs of damage or injury.

“We’re going to take you into custody, please hold out your wrists.” With Light obliging, his father snapped on a pair of handcuffs, the harsh clink grating against Light’s ears as he was shoved into the back seat of the car. Together, the trio drove carefully back to headquarters, keeping the sirens turned off on the unmarked car. But a pair of red eyes had seen the whole exchange, delighted that Light had set their plan into motion.  
\-----------------------------------

“So from now on, you will be under 24 hour surveillance. You will not be permitted to leave the headquarters unless I come with you.” Light nodded reluctantly.

“But were the handcuffs really necessary?” 

“It _is_ a little bit creepy…” Matsuda stage whispered to Mogi, who didn’t award him with a response. But Ryuzaki was smiling.

“I see no issue with it. Besides-” He began, holding the chain that bound them. “As long as you and I are tied together, we share the same fate.” And the acolyte couldn’t repress the shudder that rose at the damning statement, averting his glance when he felt heavy eyes boring into his own.

“What’s the plan?” Light asked the Task Force, still staring at the wall as he listened to L summarise their findings so far.

“There was an underlying pattern to Kira’s killings. At first it was assumed that Kira was murdering people with weak affinities or who were element-less to try and create a Darwinist sort of world, one where only the most talented of magic users could survive.” The entire Task Force now had their gazes focused on Light, with Matsuda fingering his collar with his nerves. 

“Kira is also a spirit caller such as yourself. It is likely he will want to recruit you and exploit your power. Therefore, it would be wise if you remained here as much as possible.”

“Not like I have a choice…” Light muttered, trying not to scowl.

“Stop being a child Light, this is the best situation for you.” L stated boredly, watching as Light fidgeted with his irritation. He tried not to smirk at the acolyte’s discomfort.  
“Anyway, three of Kira’s killings have stood out as anomalous. They all had strong affinities to different elements, so it was easy to conclude that Kira is borrowing their power for himself. The only element he hasn’t targeted yet is water, if we presume he will use his own affinity for spirit. We are focusing our efforts on prolific water elementals and priestesses in the Kanto region, which is obviously a lot harder than it seems without the support of the NPA.” 

“Wait, the police aren’t helping us?” Light turned to his Dad with the question, confusion crossing his features. 

“They considered it too dangerous to pursue Kira as there was no solid evidence to convict him, and it is likely that there never will be.” Soichiro sighed, brows furrowing as he explained the NPA’s stance on the situation. Clearly, he was not impressed, considering them cowards for backing out of this case. After all, just because there’s no physical evidence now, it didn’t mean that none would show up.

“It is rather depressing.” L mumbled, tapping his finger against his lip. “The likelihood of finding Kira’s next target is slim. But maybe with your help Light, we might just succeed.” The corners of his lips ghosted into a smile.

“What do you need me to do?” He didn’t hesitate when asking his question, knowing he would have to dedicate himself fully to the Kira case if they wanted to capture him. Any hesitation would look odd, anyway.

“I would like to summon a Spirit of Death, and access their information about Kira. Of course, as a spirit caller you won’t be taxed for doing so, unless you push the boundaries too much. Not everyone can call on a spirit of death and live to share its knowledge.” L explained, eyeing the young acolyte with curiousity. Would he back out, knowing the danger? He doubted it, but he didn’t fail to notice the flicker of uncertainty in Light’s eyes.

“Let’s do it now; the sooner we know more about Kira, the closer we are to bringing him to justice.” Light declared, determination filling his features. L wasn’t sure if the boy was bluffing his confidence or not.

“Watari? Set up the circle.” L ordered, and the elderly man started clearing an area to draw a chalk pentacle onto the stone floor. Soichiro helped by moving the tables, leaving Light to watch the process with fake fascination. After all, he had to act like he’d never seen a circle before, or how one worked. At best, Light should have a rudimentary knowledge of the process. 

When the circle was created, Soichiro took his place on the northern point, with Matsuda shuffling to the west. Watari settled himself on the east, leaving Light to stand dumbfounded as L stared at him.

“Light, I would like you to lead this circle, considering spirit resides in the centre. The other four elements have a directional point.” With that, L stood opposite Soichiro, assuming the role of fire. Light frowned at him as he was dragged into the middle by the constricting chains.

“Shouldn’t it make more sense for me to take fire and you to lead? I don’t know what I’m doing…” He muttered, shaking his head.

“I can guide you, and any element can be substituted without punishment by someone who does not share its affinity, except for spirit. The circle will be weaker since fire is not my element, but it will still work.” L replied, offering Light a reassuring smile. “Just say whatever comes naturally.” 

_What is your element, L? Do you really not have one?_ Light briefly wondered, before taking a deep breath. All eyes were on him, and he grounded himself by planting his feet squarely into the floor. He tried to ignore the stares, focusing only on the air that drifted in and out of his lungs, the sense of tranquility that settled in his stomach. 

“I welcome all of the elements into the circle. As a spirit caller, I will command and beckon for a spirit of death to be summoned.” A silence engulfed the room, quieting the ambient noise that had filled the area. The participants of the circle had all closed their eyes – save for L – and proceeded to lend their power to Light. He could feel all of them separately; a solid block of Soichiro’s energy keeping him centred, coupled with Watari’s wave of fluid energy, a substance that was almost tangible on his fingertips. Topping it off was the flush of air that prevented him from feeling stifled, helpfully provided by Matsuda on his right. Combined, Light felt at complete ease.

“You have some nerve, summoning me again, Detective L.” The ghostly voice echoed before it manifested, a skeletal figure adorned with neon pink dreadlocks. Since he was awake this time, Light could sense the aura of terror that emanated from the being, feeling it probe at the barriers the elements had provided for him. However, he would not falter.

“I am the one who called for you, you answer to me only.” Light said calmly, sizing the figure with clear distrust. Taken aback, the only sign of surprise the creature showed was it hunching slightly in front of the spirit caller, before nodding.

“As you wish, acolyte.” It said, relenting. “You humans call me Rem.” Grinning with his triumph, he looked over his shoulder to look at the Detective, awaiting further instruction.But he only waved his hand dismissively, indicating for Light to continue. 

"Rem, may we ask you a few questions about Kira?" The spirit chose its words carefully.

"It depends. As I informed your friends last time, there is one of us bound to Kira. Therefore there is little I can disclose." Light sighed, wondering how he could get around this problem and still get the answers he wanted.

"Are you bound to anyone?" Maybe figuring out how the ties worked would make this investigation easier...

"Yes, but not in the conventional way. I have watched over the life of a human for some time now." Rem replied, curling her fingers under Light's chin, forcing him to meet her empty gaze. "I will ask a favour of you, Light Yagami." Discomfort crossed his features, causing Ryuzaki to call out to him. 

"Be careful; don't commit to any promises you can't fulfill. Deals with spirit of deaths are never to be taken lightly." The acolyte nodded and heeded the Detective's words, but the curiosity was consuming him, begging him to find out what this favour was. It would be incredibly valuable to have Rem in his debt...

"What is it?" He heard Soichiro sigh before Rem announced her request. 

“I want you to protect my human; Misa Amane.” Matsuda’s eyes widened, exclaiming in shock.

“The famous supermodel? No way!” However, when met with Socichiro’s stare, he withered. 

“But why?” Light asked, confused. What stake did Rem have in the vapid model? And he had absolutely nothing to gain from this exchange, so why would he ever agree to it?

“It would greatly help your case.” The Death spirit hinted, in which both Light and Ryuzaki looked at each other in realisation. Although Rem couldn’t tell them outright, she was implying that Misa Amane was likely to be involved in the Kira case somehow, so protecting her would be in their best interests.

“How do I know you’re not lying? You could be using us for free protection.” He stared down the spirit, eyes narrowing with his suspicion. But Rem almost smirked, knowing then just how untrained the acolyte was.

“I cannot physically lie to a spirit caller, as it would result in my immediate death.” She said flatly, clearly annoyed she’d had to explain such a basic principle to him. 

“What is Amane’s affinity?” Watari asked, after watching the exchange carefully. Although he didn’t want to interfere with the process, wanting to trust his prodigy, he couldn’t help but steer it in the right direction. It wouldn’t do for L to make mistakes, anyway.

“Water.” As soon as the words were spoken, Light had made up his mind. He had never believed in coincidence, and it couldn’t be a random occurrence that Amane had the affinity Beyond was seeking, especially when Rem had heavily implied that she would end up being connected to the Kira case. Ryuzaki could see the cogs turning in Light’s mind, wanting to stop him from making such a haste decision, but remembered that only Light could take on this promise and help them with the case; this is what he’d brought him in for.

“We’ll do everything we can to aid you, Light.” He declared, causing the acolyte to let out a breath he didn’t realise he’d been holding. Good, he wouldn’t be alone.

“Then I accept. I will protect Misa Amane to the best of my ability.” With the promise made, a formal bond had formed between the spirit and the acolyte, a shimmering mist enveloping the pair, a tight seal forming on Light’s wrist. There was no going back now. 

“I expect you to use everything in your power to make her happy. Otherwise your life is mine to claim, spirit caller.” But this wouldn't deter him, wondering how hard it would be to please a supermodel. Surely she’d have bodyguards anyway, so it shouldn’t be too difficult…

_Not that it had ever stopped Beyond before._

Maybe this was going to be difficult after all.  
\----------------------------------------------

Donning his signature smile, Beyond nodded to the bouncer. The burly man smiled at him, waving his hand to allow him to duck inside the small club. Colloquially known as ‘Club Kira’, the last time he’d set foot inside the building was when he’d been scoping the area for the spirit caller. He’d trailed their magical imprint to here, and found Light before the police had restrained him. But Beyond was on a different mission today.

The bartender greeted him by placing a double whiskey in front of him, watching with interest as the spirit caller settled onto the bar stool. Taking the drink, he leaned over and murmured in a low voice to the man, who was pretending to look busy by cleaning the glasses.

“How’s the atmosphere been today?” The bartender smirked, cocking his hips to one side as he rested his elbows on the counter.

“Ever since you left with that yummy boy last week, the pace has really picked up here. More are sympathetic to Kira, especially since that receptionist was a stalker.” Watching Beyond down the whiskey to try and disguise a smile, he reached for the bottle, simply handing it to his most loyal customer. “It’s on the house. Things are going to get interesting tonight, so you might need it.” Curiousity filled Beyond’s deep brown eyes, swigging from the bottle and letting it drop onto the smooth surface with a small clack. 

“Why would that be?” He practically purred, reaching over the counter and curling the man’s blonde hair around his finger. Not failing to notice the slight blush that rose to the barman’s cheek, he chuckled lowly to himself. The guy behind the counter jabbed his finger in the direction of the DJ, who was just setting up.

“You’ll see. Ever since Kira came into the public eye, the police have been incredibly tough on magic users, especially around here.” Beyond nodded in understanding, leaning back on the bar stool and nursing the whiskey that burned and clawed at his insides. It felt good.

“And tonight, give a warm welcome to Misa Amane!” A roar of applause erupted in the crowd of people gathering around the edges of the dance floor, surrounding a blonde girl in a dark Lolita dress. Beyond recognised her as a famous supermodel, but what was he supposed to be looking out for?

“Hello everyone! I’m Misa Misa, and I want to talk about something super important to me before the party gets started!” She practically yelled into the microphone, with the patrons seemingly unaffected by her scratchy and whiny voice. Beyond thought she was cute in her own little way, but he couldn’t stand her. 

“So loads of us with affinities have been targeted by the police now for no reason. They’re treating us like criminals, just because we can use magic!” There was a strong murmur of agreement amongst the crowds, indifferent to her unusually peppy tone. 

“And it’s all in the name of catching Kira, because he’s trying to make the world a better place! Kira killed a woman who had been stalking me for years, and we’re getting punished for it? It’s so not fair!” She stamped her feet into the ground, uncannily like a child.

“We should let the world know that Kira is making the world a better, safer place for magic users. He’s protecting us from the people who are jealous! Who’s with me?” The crowd flared into life, chanting her name and wholeheartedly championing her vapid words. Although they were supporting Kira for shallow reasons, he couldn’t deny that it was a good thing for him. 

“Enjoy your night everyone! And don’t forget to buy the next issue of Cosmo, I’m featured on the front page!” She made a peace sign, parting her way through the increasingly raucous crowd to slip out of the back entrance. The bartender nodded to him to follow her, offering him his spare key to return should he run into trouble.

“Thanks.” He grinned at the man, trying to quell the growing excitement in his chest. Misa could be useful…

“Anything for you.” The bartender winked back, appearing oblivious to Beyond’s charm as he turned to serve a growing cluster of customers. Of course, Beyond knew he had the man hook line and sinker. He always did. 

The crisp evening air hit him as soon as he gently closed the backdoor behind him. He was only slightly disheartened that he’d left the bottle of whiskey on the counter, walking slowly behind the supermodel that was skipping away.

“Miss Amane, I couldn’t help but be inspired by your speech.” He called out, wearing a dazzling smile. She peeked over her shoulder at him, unable to miss the predatory air that seemed to radiate from his being. But she grinned back anyway, smoothing down her dress.

“Thanks! I’m really passionate about Kira.” She announced with no hesitation whatsoever, which concerned Beyond. Was she always such a blabbermouth? She couldn’t just admit to supporting a criminal wherever she went. Beyond now understood why he’d needed the hard drink from the bar; if he was going to have to deal with _her_ , he’d need to be blackout drunk 24/7.

“How come? You said that he’d helped you with a stalker, is that true?” He inquired, leaning against the cold rails that lined the street. It grounded him, to some extent.

“Yup! There was this woman who was _so_ jealous of my career and we’d been friends in high school, so she was stalking me every day! I couldn’t leave my house without my agent or a bodyguard, it was horrible! But Kira killed her and solved my problem, so now I have my freedom back.” She gave a little thumbs up to him, telling her brief story in a chirpy tone.

He crept towards her, closing the distance between them as she sucked in a breath of air. His smile was now sinisterly tinged, looking down at her with scrutinising eyes.

“Would you say you’d do anything for Kira?” He put his finger under her chin, tipping her gaze to meet his own. Her eyes had dilated with part fear, part excitement, and Beyond could feel it rippling off her in a tantalizing wave, a nectar which riled every instinct in his body. 

“Y-Yes, because she could’ve killed me.” She stammered uncertainly, wanting to wriggle away but entranced by his stare. “Why, a-are you a cop?” Her shoulders tensed, clearly afraid she was about to be stabbed, arrested or worse..

“No, but I work for Kira. He’d love to meet you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought i'd make the chapter a little longer since i've been struggling to get this written - turns out working full-time really makes a dent in your downtime!  
> As a side note - i'm thinking of writing a one-shot written in this universe... would anyone be interested?
> 
> Your comments are really brightening my day, thank you everyone :)  
> ~Max


	11. Amane unveiled

“Beyond?” His fingers were searching, grabbing at the air in front of him to try and clear the dense fog that surrounded his vision. He was completely lost, with no indication of where he was or where he could be going. But he still stumbled forward, feeling the soft hum of a familiar form beckoning him. It was almost like he could see the purple strings that glowed ever so faintly, guiding him to his ally, his partner in crime.

“I’m here.” strong hands grasped his own, submerging from the fog as intense red eyes seared into his. Beyond’s lips curved into a smile, one that wasn’t warped by malice or madness. Relief flooded through Light’s body, a sense of comfort emanating from Beyond’s form as he was encompassed into a soft embrace. He let himself be enveloped by the warmth. 

“I need to talk to you about someone, this was the only way I could think of.” With their surroundings completely shrouded, all Light could do was focus on the feel of a beating heart against his, a calm smile forming on his face. 

“You’ve done well, considering this is your first time.” He cupped Light’s face between his palms, sensing the bubbling power that flowed through the acolyte as he sustained this shared dream. “What did you want to talk about?” 

“Misa Amane. I made a vow with her Spirit of Death to keep her happy.” Beyond’s forehead creased into a frown, confused.

“Why would you do that? That’s pretty reckless, even by my standards.”

“Because I had to, or L would’ve suspected me. Her Spirit said she was related to the Kira case.” Beyond’s mouth formed an ‘O’, still holding Light’s face and nodding in understanding.

“That’s because she is; she supports Kira. In fact, I want you to meet her. That won’t be too hard considering you’re meant to be protecting her anyway, L will likely have one of your task force reach out to her, or at the very least have someone be planted in her guard.” He grinned at the acolyte, running his thumb across his cheek. Light’s breath hitched.  
“You’ve done _very_ well, maybe I should reward you…”

“But we need to talk about-“ And in that moment Light was silenced by the press of lips against his, stealing the defiant air from his lungs as he was consumed by a fiery kiss. It sparked every ounce of his being, the fibres of his body sparking to life. In that second, adrenaline and shock pumped through his system. He could feel the push of Beyond’s tongue against his, demanding submission, demanding him to concede. But he wouldn’t, not this time. A surge of energy flushed from his heart as he fought back, using the force to delve into the hot, wet cavern that was Beyond’s mouth. He tasted so sinfully sweet, like strawberry jam combined perfectly with venom; He couldn’t deny the prickles of danger and thrill that shivered up his arms. The older man pulled back after agonising seconds had passed, eyes dilated with sheer lust and surprise.

“Do that again, Light.” He breathed, rapt fascination prominent in his blood red eyes. Light could just be consumed by them, and would never find the will to complain if he drowned in those depths.  
Snaking his arms around the burly man’s shoulders, he planted his lips on Beyond’s neck, nipping and tugging at the soft flesh that lay there. He could feel Beyond’s moan reverberate before he even heard it.

“God Light, you’re just so fucking intoxicating...” He murmured, hands sweeping down Light’s supple body, mapping out every dent and curve and imprinting it into his mind. Fingers slipping under his waistband, the acolyte relaxed into his touch, a soft groan escaping his lips as he buried his face into Beyond’s neck. It felt so hideously good, the burning ache coiling inside him at rapid speed. Beyond’s practiced hands continued their travel, cupping his slick length through his boxers. It seemed that the spirit caller knew exactly where to touch him, and how to tease to the point that Light thought he was going to go mad with his lust. He couldn’t find the words to express how great this felt, thoughts drifting away in a wave of pleasure. 

“When we meet again, I will make you mine, Light Yagami.” And with a soul-wrenching kiss, Beyond popped out of existence, out of the dream. There was a large void where he had been, and Light felt like part of his body had been thrust into searing ice. 

It was with that painfully empty feeling that Light’s eyes snapped open, with a concerned L staring at him.

\---------------------------------------

“I’ve never seen you have such disturbed sleep. What happened?” L’s head cocked to one side, inspecting Light’s sweaty and panting form. He couldn’t quite comprehend how someone could look so haunted and incredibly aroused at the same time. It was clear that whatever dream Light had been pulled into, it had been equally as exciting as it was dangerous. 

“I dreamt about Kira.” Light admitted, deciding to tell the truth when he was in such an agitated state. He was pretty sure L would’ve seen through a lie, anyway. “My Father said that you knew him personally.” L nodded in confirmation, but remained silent, eyes sweeping up and down Light’s figure, analysing his body language. 

“You need to tell me everything Ryuzaki. If you want me to help you catch him, I need to know what we’re up against.” He shifted to lie on his side, staring at the Detective intently, allowing a slight tinge of fear to enter his features.

“I guess you do. What would you like to know?” L relented, deciding that Light knowing this information wasn’t too risky, considering they were on the same side. As Watari had said many times, he couldn’t do this case alone; that’s why he’d drafted in the Task Force in the first place.

“What’s he like? How strong is he? Why is he doing this?” He asked in quick succession, reaching for the blanket and hauling it over his torso. It would better disguise the painfully obvious erection he had gained, anyway. 

“He is known to me as Beyond Birthday, and we were at the same orphanage. When both he and I were discovered to have excellent deductive abilities, we were trained to be detectives. We’ve always been rivals in that aspect, and nothing seems to have changed.” Light’s forehead creased into a frown, sighing.

“Great, so we’re against another super-genius who has a longstanding vendetta?” L smiled ruefully, bitterness lighting the abyss of his black eyes.

“Yes. It became quite apparent that Beyond was mentally unstable, and despite his intellect he could not be trusted to become a servant of justice. But the owner of the orphanage didn’t want to send him away because he was a danger to the public. So the best thing he thought of doing was to treat him like my equal, to appease him. He hoped that he would grow out of the instability, but he came to embrace it.” Itching his right arm, Light watched carefully as L fidgeted with discomfort. He indicated for the detective to continue, lips curving into a gentle smile. 

“Well the more we know, the better chance we have to catch him, right?” 

“That seems logical.” It was clear that L was deliberating whether to divulge any more information with Light, gnawing on his bottom lip. He then leaned forwards, encompassing Light’s vision as he put his face mere inches from his. 

“What I’m about to tell you cannot be discussed with anyone, not even your Father. You’re my only friend Light, so I feel you deserve to be aware of this.” He didn’t flinch, gauging the utter seriousness in L’s features and choosing to stay still. Besides, he didn’t find the smell of cookies and cream off-putting, weirdly enough.

“Beyond is the only known spirit elemental that is currently alive. He is incredibly volatile and has no remorse for his crimes. When he presented as a spirit acolyte, the owner of the orphanage decided he could never leave without his powers being suppressed or stripped in some way. The few case studies of spirit acolytes has shown them to descend into madness, consumed by their own power, but he was already insane. He simply could not wield the abilities that he did. And that’s where I made a grave mistake.” He admitted, and it became obvious to Light that L was having great difficulty confiding in him, his whole expression demonstrating the sheer regret that he felt. 

“What happened?” Light asked carefully, placing a hand on L’s shoulder in a subconscious attempt at comforting the Detective. But he shied away, a frightened animal confronted with its predator.

“I devised a plan of using bloodstone and a serum we formulated to first restrict his powers, then transfer them to me. Due to laws of equivalent exchange, it is impossible to strip someone of their abilities without placing them somewhere else. It is why many prisoners get their affinities repressed rather than stripped. In short, all elemental power needs a host.” L explained, threading his fingers through his shaggy black hair. 

“The process was going fine. We had him tied down, with bloodstone over his skin to stop surges of energy. But I didn’t think he’d be so strong after only one day of having a spirit affinity. No books have ever detailed how fast the spirit affinity manifests, but I know now that it is far more accelerated than any other element.” He sighed, resisting the urge to cover his face with his palms. “He broke free, and used the serum to steal my affinity.” Holding out his hands to Light, he indicated for Light to take them in his own. Obliging, he peered at the Detective in confusion.

“Tell me, what do you feel?” L asked, his features dulling, his usual ambition and determination completely sapped from his face. Squeezing gently, Light concentrated, trying to sense something – _anything_ – through his contact with the Detective. But the only thing he could feel was a void, and he looked up at L with genuine sadness. 

“Nothing. It must be horrible, being stripped of your element.” He kept a hold on L’s hands, using his thumbs to rub small circles into his skin. L didn’t pull away, hair covering his face as he hunched over.

“It is. It feels like a part of my soul has been snatched away, forever lost. I do not honestly know how we are going to defeat Beyond; the odds are severely stacked against us.” He mumbled, fingers growing limp under Light’s touch. His whole posture reeked of defeat.

“Ryuzaki, you can’t afford to think like that.” Light reminded him, still continuing the motions of drawing patterns into L’s pale hands, feeling soothed by the contact with the soft skin. “You have me and the rest of the Task Force behind you. You don’t need an element to succeed, you have everything you need already.” He used his other hand to carefully tip the Detective’s chin to force him to make eye contact, warmth radiating from his entire body. The corners of L’s lips ghosted into a tiny smile, but nothing more.

“I guess you’re right.” He pointedly looked over at the time, using it as a means to escape Light’s intense stare. He didn’t want to admit it, but Light had been correct, and proving to be more helpful than he’d initially realised.

“It’s getting late, and you need your Rem sleep. Will you hold me as you rest?” L didn’t wait for an answer as he rolled onto his other side, facing away from the spirit acolyte. Light’s brows raised with the blunt request, but he didn’t question it. He could humour the Detective just once…

And as Light wrapped his arms around L’s waist, causing the chains to become slack for once, he couldn’t deny that it brought him some comfort to have another body close to his. He wasn’t as large and warm as Beyond, but this was still a guilty delight. 

L could feel the soft ripples of power that seemed to run through Light’s skin into his, a blanket of safety as he could admit that he actually felt… _complete._ The part of himself that he had been so desperately missing and lacking since he lost his affinity felt healed, for a brief respite. Light’s presence was cathartic, and L didn’t mind that in the slightest.

\----------------------------------------------

“Couldn’t you have freed me from these handcuffs just this once?” Light was pissed, considering L had decided to take the fight to Beyond and infiltrate what he now knew as ‘Club Kira.’ Despite the numerous police raids and arrests made on magic users in the bar, the patrons had only become more defiant, more riotous. So as a whole the NPA had decided to let them have what they wanted: a space to practice without being persecuted. Therefore the area had become a hotspot for rebellious activity. And since they were no longer associated to the NPA, Light and L were free to set foot in the bar, with L dragging the acolyte into one of the booths in the corner. L winked at him, playfully toying with the chain links as he purred.

“I coudln’t let you out of my sight, especially in here. Besides, we could just tell people that you have a BDSM fetish.” He said monotonously, grinning widely as Light’s entire face coloured beetroot with both outrage and embarrassment.

“Why do I have to be the one who has the kink?” He spat back indignantly, slamming his unchained fist onto the sticky bar table. But he was met with a silvery laugh as a response, stemming from the girl who now stood in front of them. The other patrons had made a clear berth around her, respecting her privacy as she leaned her elbows on the table and inspected the chain between her fingers.

“Which one of you is the pervert? I can’t say I’ve seen either of you two in here before, welcome!” The blonde asked, tilting her head to one side. Ryuzaki’s eyes widened with glee, enthusiastically reaching for her hand. 

“Misa Misa! I’ve been a huge fan ever since I saw you in Sixteen!” Blushing, she giggled as L pressed his lips to her fingers. Trying to disregard his unusual appearance, she chirped to him eagerly. 

“Aren’t you a gentleman! I hope you treat your boyfriend just as nicely; we are very accepting of your quirks here…” She eyed the chain again before turning to Light, studying him carefully. Under her gaze, Light noticed recognition and shock fill her features for the briefest second, before reverting back to her vapid stare. Did she know him? That couldn’t be possible…

“I’m not the pervert here, it’s Ryuzaki. He loves to see me tied up.” Light played along, wiggling his eyebrows at the Detective as L tried to hide how mortified he had become. “He won’t let me out of my chains all night, isn’t he strict? We came here to dance as well…” He mock pouted, wondering if Misa would catch onto his insinuation. If he could get himself away from L’s earshot, even for a minute, he could confirm what Misa knew of Beyond and the Kira case, if anything. 

Misa stomped her foot, directing her statement at L. “Can I steal your boyfriend for one dance? He’s rather cute.” She admitted, swaying on the spot as L bit on his lip uncertainly. 

“I don’t know, I-“

“Pretty please? I won’t go away until I can have my dance!” She sing-songed, reaching for Light’s palms. The waft of perfume hit him before the contact did, and he tried not to wrinkle his nose. Sensing his discomfort, L decided he’d let Light suffer, for one brief moment. As long as he kept an eye on the pair, he couldn’t be kidnapped by Beyond or any sympathisers.

“Fine, but I’ll be watching, don’t break him!” He said cheerfully, disguising an exasperated sigh as he released Light from the other end of the chain. The boy jumped up, grabbing Misa by the waist and escorting her onto the dancefloor. 

“Shall we?”

She nodded, clapping her hands together in excitement and letting herself be led under the strobe lights. It was at that moment when a particularly raunchy song came on, and she giggled at him.

“Show me your slutty moves!” She insisted, positioning herself in front of him and rolling her hips against his. He tried not to cringe, feigning delight as he mimicked her movements. Now, he would know if Misa’s appearance at their table had been a random coincidence – especially because they were seeking her out anyway – or if she knew more than she let on. If the latter, she’d try and communicate it with him somehow, even with L watching. That’s assuming she had a brain cell, anyway.

She seemed to be gyrating ever closer, inches between the pair as she snaked her hands around his neck. He couldn’t deny how her dancing was obviously emulating sex, but he wasn’t exactly in a position to complain. It was an absolute turn-off for him, but he supposed he could’ve been in worse situations. He was casually dancing with a supermodel, one who was incredibly pretty but… dumb.

Leaning into him and feigning the motion of kissing his neck, she whispered ever so softly, barely audible through the thumping music.  
“I know you’re Kira, I’m on your side.” He tried to stop the utter shock filling his features as he hid his face on Misa’s shoulder, murmuring back.

“Did Beyond send you?” He then stepped away from her, creating a small gap as they continued their clearly erotic dance. Light was pretty sure he could feel many envious stares directed at the back of his head. And all she did was nod – seemingly along with the beat drop in the song – thus ending their private conversation. Good, she didn’t seem to be a total blabbermouth.

They continued their motions until the song drew to a harsh close, with Misa cheering as she skipped beside Light back to the table. Of course, L had been scrutinising them the entire time, secretly delighted that Light was definitely uncomfortable with the moves he had just performed. He’d noted that they’d murmured few words to each other during the dance, but at such a distance he could not discern what they had been; He’d have to ask Light about that at another time.

“Misa-Misa, may I ask a favour of you?” L spoke first, noticing how breathless the pair were. She nodded, offering a thumbs-up.  
“Of course! Ask away!” 

“With Kira on the rise, many are concerned about your safety, considering your stance on Kira. There are many that would seek to hurt you.” Her grin completely flattened, sadness filling her soft features.

“But everyone likes me!” She gushed, much to Light’s chagrin. L kept his composure, however. 

“You may feel that way, but we want to protect you.” He gestured to Light and himself. “We’re actually part of the police, we were hoping we could be your security. Consider us free bodyguards.” Light smiled up at her, silently begging her to take him up on the offer. He’d need to keep watch over Amane for Beyond, and it would also serve the purpose of fulfilling his promise to the Spirit of Death. In this situation, Light couldn’t lose.

She pressed a thumb to her lip. “Well, I suppose if I get you cuties all day, why not?” She squeaked in way of accepting their offer, grasping both of their chained hands – which L had sneakily placed back on Light’s wrist during the conversation – and hauling them to their feet. Light was then stifled by the itchy scratch of netting, and a small dusting of foundation as they were crushed into a hug.

“Will I be going back to your place? You two are so adorable!” She was still giggling, and Light refrained from rolling his eyes. She was nice enough, but that didn’t stop her from being annoying as hell.

“Yes, and we can make arrangements with your manager. We promise we won’t interrupt your busy work schedule.” L confirmed, in which Misa released them from the impromptu embrace, delight flourishing on her face.

“Awesome! Let’s go!” Practically yanking the pair with her as she burst out of the front door of the club, she squealed with happiness when L gestured to the black limo being driven by Watari, where he’d actually been waiting all night, indicating for them all to sit inside. 

“Wow, you sure know how to make a girl feel special! Y’know, I once had a friend who…” She jabbered, and after that point Light, had already tuned out.

_This was going to be a long week._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so begins an extra snippet of the story! I did promise Misa wouldn't be completely and utterly irritating, but she still needs to stay in character, so sorrynotsorry :P  
> I will be working on a one-shot for this fic, if i decide not to eventually incorporate it into the story, so beware - the smut is coming! 
> 
> You guys are fantastic :)   
> ~Max


	12. Equilibrium

“Do you think he should be here?” Roger murmured to his companion, grasping a strong hand between his own. Whammy peered up over his glasses, glancing at the subject in question. A child with unruly brown hair lay on the floor with another child, who looked equally as unkempt. A wide radius had been left around them, the other children gaggling together in hushed whispers and tones. It wasn’t just their appearance that segregated them from the crowd. No, it was the intense exchange of fevered, unrestricted insults that streamed from their lips as they played chess against each other.

“I’ll beat you one day Lawliet; I’m going to _ruin_ you.” The brunette declared as he placed the other child into a check position. He leaned back, triumph delighting his unnerving crimson eyes. But L seemed unfazed, chewing on his thumbnail as he crouched over the board. Seeing the pair face each other, opposite in their approach and demeanour, Whammy couldn’t help but believe that they complemented the other in a way that was unrivalled. Whilst B appeared to be the dictionary description of relaxed, confident and open, L coiled into himself in a manner that could only be portrayed as entirely introspective. 

“Unlikely. Not today, not ever.” With one swift motion, L toppled B’s queen, flicking it off the board. “Checkmate.” And B bristled, fists clenching, eyes narrowed. Seething, he rose to his feet, glaring at the audience around him.

“You’ll see! I’ll surpass you Lawliet. We know it’s only a matter of time…” Suddenly the anger fleeted from his tone, taking on a sing-song voice as he strolled away from the board, humming a haunting tune under his breath. Whammy turned to his companion, watching L stare at the chess board and speaking softly.

“This is exactly where he should be.”  
\------------------------------------------------  
`  
“Keep up Matt! We’ve got a film to record!” Light watched boredly on the monitor as the girl gleefully dragged her new manager beside her, heading into a recording studio. Matt was trying to finish his cigarette whilst being yanked along, pissed that she hadn’t let them stop for even one minute. 

“Alright Princess, I’m with ya.” He muttered, leaning into the small microphone pinned to the underside of his shirt. “I know you can hear me, and I hate you all for making me take on this job.” Matsuda snorted, crossing his arms.

“He’s complaining when he gets the best role out of all of us? He’s Misa-Misa’s manager!” He huffed, causing L to roll his eyes.

“You dress like you’re 20 years older than you actually are. Therefore, it was more believable if Matt was her representative.” Matsuda’s jaw hung open as Light snickered, whilst Soichiro sighed at the whole exchange.

“Can we get back to the case now? Amane is fine; we don’t need to watch her shoot a whole film from Matt’s camera.” The Task Force agreed, pulling up the grainy footage from Kira’s murders. Whilst the electric had clearly been tampered with, some of the CCTV had retained various images that the group could decipher.

“Now Light is with us, I thought it’d be worth revisiting the evidence that we have.” He turned to the boy in question, pointing at the screen. “Watch how Kira attacks the receptionist from the Kanto clinic. From your knowledge as a spirit caller, is there something we’re missing?”

Light leaned in, inspecting carefully as the pug-faced woman typed in a security code to lock the building, before she looked over her shoulder. Her knees appeared to buckle inwards for no obvious reason, cowering as her lips formed a silent ‘O’, clearly screaming. Through the fuzzy image he could almost make out how her whole body froze, not even her diaphragm moving to show she was still breathing. It was like she had been paralysed. But how? Nothing had moved, nor approached her. The only proof that time was still moving was the miniscule sway in the leaves just in shot of the camera. Aside from that, Light would’ve believed the image had been frozen. He could see the life leaving her figure, the tension slowly draining from her body, from her eyes as they grew glassy. It was a little disturbing, to say the least. Then the footage crackled to static, and Light blinked slowly, confusion running rampant on his features.

“I..I’m not sure what happened there. It was like time stopped, and through it she was being killed. But I couldn’t see anything that was attacking her.” He concluded, looking over at L for confirmation of his deductions. However, the Detective’s lips were set into a grim line as he nodded. 

“We thought the same.” 

“Well, maybe I should watch the footage again. I’ve only seen it once, maybe I didn’t pick up on something.” He offered lamely, desperate to see anything that would aid their case, to bring an end to this stifling standstill that had been forced upon them. L shrugged, rewinding the footage back to the beginning, deciding to stare out of the window instead of at the screen. He’d observed it countless times already; if there was something there he certainly couldn’t see it. 

This time, Light leaned forward, inspecting every ounce of the video carefully. Again, there was nothing unusual about her closing the door and locking the building, yet as soon as she turned around…

“Stop!” He called out to Watari, who stuttered and brought the footage to a halt. Almost pressing his face against the screen, he could see it now; a shimmering, a slight blur in the image which he couldn’t just attribute to the poor quality of the video. He quietly cursed himself for not spotting it before, but the outline was so faint that he was surprised he’d actually caught it this time. 

“Right in front of her face, there’s a ripple, like a heat wave. Can you guys see it?” He turned to them eagerly, gesturing for them to inspect the footage for themselves. Soichiro pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, looking at the screen in confusion. Matsuda rolled his shoulders into a shrug.

“I can’t see anything, Light.” A disappointed grimace tugged at the usually spritely man’s lips. 

“Maybe you’re fabricating evidence because you’re so intent on finding it in the video.” L said blandly, not even bothering to check for himself as he drummed his fingers against his knees. Light bristled.

“No, you don’t understand! It’s _right there_.” He pressed his finger against the screen, tracing the pattern of the wavering. “It-It’s almost the shape of a body. Ah! It’s a silhouette! Is it really not visible to you? Sure, it’s a haze but it’s still noticeable.” Light argued back, pleading with any of the members of the Task Force to agree with him, to confirm that he wasn’t just looking like a fool for no reason. He knew he was right, he just had to be.

“I don’t know Light-“ Soichiro began, before Watari coughed, placing a gentle hand on Light and L’s shoulders.

“If I may, I think I have an explanation for this situation.” He gave both of the young prodigies a small, reassuring smile.  
“Light is a spirit acolyte. It is possible that he is identifying an aura that we are unable to perceive ourselves.” Light’s eyes widened, a sense of pride filling his heart as he realised that he could do so much more than the people around him, that he was _useful_ , a necessity to the Task Force. If Watari was correct, he’d just broken their bad luck with ease.

“So you’re saying that Kira is acting as a ghost? That he can cloak himself somehow?” Soichiro asked, confusion apparent on his aged features. But then L turned around, addressing his colleagues.

“No, it means that Kira is not present physically when he kills. But his spirit is, and he is able to murder this way without leaving a trace. It’s like-“

“-Astral projection.” Light finished, in which L nodded in confirmation, eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion.

“Would you happen to have any experience with that, Light?” 

“No, and it’s not a sin to read.”

“It sounds like you know a lot about it-“

“Don’t start with this shit again! You already know I’m not Kira!”

“Will you both just shut up!?” Soichiro yelled, fuming as the pair had diverted from their investigation. Grunting with his expansion, he grabbed both of them, Light with a yelp of surprise and L with a frown of confusion.

“If you two are going to act like infants, you should leave now. If not, let’s actually get on with the case.” Light’s features crossed into an apologetic smile, feeling his Dad’s grip relinquish as he turned to face the screen again.

“I apologise, Father.” L remained silent, sulking. Light decided to ignore him.

“The haze is silver, but at its edges it morphs into black. Like onyx, actually.” He hummed to himself, looking to Watari for some form of translation.

“Auras are known to display the person’s mood and intentions. From your description it is clear that our Kira feels neutral, contempt when they have intent to murder. When an aura is tainted black, the person is seriously considering committing a crime beyond reproach, a violation of the essence of nature itself.” Watari’s tone was grave as he interpreted Light’s findings. Matsuda shuddered.

“Who could kill without remorse? This person is a psychopath…”

Light continued the footage, slowing it down as the silhouette reached forward, placing its fingers in a series of places on her body. They ranged from the top of her head to the centre of her pelvis. In sequence, the sections crumpled, her chest constricting.

“Stop.” He commanded, as the receptionist was half-buckled. “His aura is now green, with a black outer layer. Grass green, to be specific.” 

“Life energy…” L murmured, much to the group’s surprise. They had assumed that when L went into one of his depressive states, he’d be unresponsive for at least a couple of hours. “Green is the colour of vibrancy; he’s draining the life out of her.”

“So this confirms our theory. Kira is killing through spiritual wounds, not physical. It explains why we can’t find any trace of his presence, considering he’s never actually there.” Soichiro summarised, greeted with murmurs of agreement from the Task Force, but L shook his head.

“Surely committing such a heinous crime, in person or not, would leave some sort of magical trace. How is he hiding it?” He chewed on his bottom lip, before he seemed to come to a realisation. His eyes snapped to Light’s.

“He’s not disguising it-“ He began, before Light caught onto his train of thought.

“-The police just couldn’t sense it! L, you’re brilliant!” He gave the Detective a delighted smile, much to the confusion of the Task Force. Taking a deep breath, Light explained the situation to them.

“These murders are leaving something like a spiritual stain on both the victim and the environment the crime is committed in. Since only a rare few air elementals and spirit callers can sense this, the police have been unable to perceive the evidence that is literally under their noses. But if we go back as a group, we could pin down Kira’s magical signature and maybe use it to locate him!” L coughed, raising one finger.

“It’ll be too late now, the traces will have long faded. We’ll have to wait until he strikes again.” L sighed, rising to his feet.

“Anyway, I believe that is all we can gather from the investigation today. This has been very productive.” He stated rather suddenly, forcing Light to be dragged behind him as he trudged into their shared room.

Light stared at him, aghast. “What was that all about? We’ve got so much more work to do.” He crossed his arms, clearly not impressed as he leaned against the door. The chain stretched as far as possible when L perched on the edge of the bed, peering up at Light with weary eyes.

“Light, I’d like to ask something of you, as a friend.” The tension in his body immediately dissipated when he met L’s gaze, features softening. The Detective was being utterly serious with him.

“What is it?”

“When this investigation is over, I’d like you to work alongside me. Not because you have to, but because you want to.” He started, causing Light’s brows to furrow.

“But why? I’ve got university, a career in the police to pursue.” He didn’t quite understand L’s intentions, and he couldn’t help but feel slightly unnerved.

“Because you have the assets and skills that I sadly do not possess. We’re like two sides of a coin, you and I. We could achieve so much by playing to our strengths.” He explained, reciting everything in a perfectly calm tone. However, Light had noticed that L had clasped his fingers together, a sign that the Detective was nervous. He wondered if L realised how his little quirks and habits could make him more readable than a book. 

“Would this just be in a professional aspect?” The bluntness of the question caught L off guard, breath catching in his throat as he analysed the figure now towering over him. There was a sense of unwavering confidence in Light’s features, of self-assurance. But there were undertones of lust carefully concealed in his honey coloured eyes, but still present to the Detective. Was L implying what he thought he was…?

“It doesn’t have to be.” He simply said, deciding to break their tense eye contact and look up at the ceiling. If he inspected it closely, he could trace all the mis-strokes of the paint, where it was lathered on slightly thicker than other coats of it. But it did nothing to help him ignore how the very air had stilled as he painfully waited for an answer. He knew Light would be enjoying this torturous deliberation, this brief second of power he had over him.

The sudden pressure of a body against his brought his gaze away from the ceiling, eyes locking onto Light’s as the other man splayed himself on top of him, somehow fitting against L’s bony figure. It was strange how it didn’t feel foreign to him.

“I want to work with every single inch of you.” Light finally breathed, an unadulterated, raw desire burning in the deep pools of his eyes. Tenuously slow, he placed his forehead against L’s, simply drinking in the rapt sight that was in front of him. L’s breathing had hitched, his heart kicking into an accelerating beat as he saw the man in front of him – _really saw him_ – and realised no, Light wasn’t pretentious; Light wasn’t a fake. This was the true Light, one that was unafraid to seek, to be laid bare and vulnerable in the face of rejection. He did not hide from the world, did not conform to its necessities like he had originally thought – that would only scrape his surface.

Light was inconceivably beautiful. 

Hesitantly, tentatively, he carefully brought their lips together, a small probe at Light’s mouth, seeking permission. It was so impossibly gentle in its action that the other man couldn’t help but smile, allowing the Detective access. Light explored, not just sensing the delicate taste of sweet shortcake on his lips, but an innate feeling of peace radiate from him, that soothed the raging fire that mercilessly burned at the core of his body. He reached for the feeling, curling his hands around the back of L’s head, threading them through his shaggy hair to bring them even closer. This exchange seemed to lose sense of time, because Light could feel himself falling, needing the pacifying comfort of the other man. 

When Light agonisingly pulled away, to gaze down at the person beneath him, his eyes met a soft blue light that rose from L’s throat to his mouth as he spoke. Was that his aura? He’d never seen anything like it.

“Please tell me I’m not the only one feeling… whatever _that_ was.” Light cautiously asked the Detective, whose glazed eyes snapped back to reality at the question. After a moment, he nodded.

“It’s like your presence completes me, Light. I have no qualms about saying that.” He said with only sincere honesty, reaching forward to stroke his cheek. Light blinked at the truthful statement, before leaning into L’s touch. 

“I can’t help but agree. Lie with me for a while.” He rolled himself off the Detective, propping himself up with one elbow as L mimicked his position. Not wanting to create distance between them, they lay with their chests touching, until Light allowed sleep to take him.

To see Light’s form sleeping so calmly, so soundly under his watch quietly delighted L. The spark between them had developed suddenly, but L had known it was always there. It was undeniable, a connection that would never truly leave, no matter how far the pair drifted. Part of him had seen this coming, and he would embrace it with all his might.

He had said it before, and he definitely meant it now: L would protect him.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beyond flicked through the TV channels lazily, static crackling from the screen, as if it was reaching for him. It bored him, to keep waiting like this, for Light to seduce L and slowly manipulate him, bring him under their control… but what else could he do? Even Takada seemed impatient as she paced around her circle. 

That was, until he stopped on Sakura TV.

_“We at Sakura TV are proudly sponsoring the movement against Kira! We feel that the world would be a safer place without murderers like Kira who abuse their power. Since the NPA will do nothing about this situation, we want to bring the fight to them! I am Demegawa, and we have an anti-Kira fighter with us today!”_

The screen panned away from the sweaty man who was grinning wildly to a short person in a hood, shrouding their features under black clothing and chains. When the mic was held to them, their voice came out as robotic, distorted.

_“We want the NPA to co-operate with our movement. If no officers are willing to stop Kira, then we will murder his most prominent spokesperson: Misa Amane.”_

Demegawa popped up on the screen again, the figure shuffling away as soon as possible. The presenter was practically bouncing with his excitement.

“ _You hear that folks? The police will be given 24 hours until Amane is tortured and executed! Stay tuned for all news related to defeating Kira; this is Sakura TV and we are the resistance against the elements!”_

Beyond snorted as he turned it off. Surely they were bluffing? Amane was being protected by the Task Force. Knowing the channel, they were probably doing it for ratings; He wouldn’t put it beneath them to use a scandal to gain publicity. It was a shame really, he could’ve used a sleazy channel on his side, to aid his quest in gaining popularity. It was working amongst the elementals – who were the majority – but that still didn’t stop the grumbles of dissent, the questioning of killing people who were element-less simply because they were not born with the talent nor gift. 

Either way, he hoped Light had it under control. He was going to be fucking pissed otherwise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally here! I've had no internet for the best of 5 days so writing this has been a nightmare. I hope it was worth the wait!
> 
> And mega thanks to all of the comments, they really do inspire me to get past the hard bits to write <3
> 
> ~Max


	13. Hostage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, i deeply apologise for putting this fic on hold! I've been writing little bits of it for the past few months and want you guys to know I haven't forgotten about it!  
> I've been incredibly busy IRL but i'm endeavoring to make sure I have time to write this little beauty!  
> Thank you all so much for your support, it keeps me going <3

* * *

 

“We have a problem.” Matt said flatly into the cellphone, flicking the end of his cigarette as Light positively fumed.

  
“It’s a little bit more than _a problem_ , Matt. You let Misa get kidnapped during her shoot? You’re a fucking idiot!”

“Chill drama queen, we’ll get her back. I put a tracker on her clothes, remember? I don’t hear any of you callin’ me a pervert now…” He droned, rolling his eyes. Light had no idea how to relax; it really grated on the young hacker.

“He does have a point Light, we need to remain calm. This situation isn’t just to do with elemental infighting anymore, this is a hostage situation in which the police will be forced to intervene.” L pointed out, much to Light’s frustration. His brow twitched with anger.

 “Yeah, because they’ve done so much work already. They have less than 20 hours and they’ve achieved nothing.” He spat, rising to his feet. Shaking his cuffed hand at L, the links jangled as he continued to rant.

 “Take these off; I have a plan. We’ll organise the police ourselves, as L. Then I’m going to go to Misa’s location and fucking grab her myself.” Soichiro held up a hand to stop his son, protesting.

 “But it’s too dangerous Light, you don’t know what sort of weapons they have, how many there are…” But then Light’s features creased into a haughty smirk, the anger draining from his features.

 “They don’t know we have a spirit acolyte. And besides, I’ll be able to see every inch of their location soon enough, with Matsuda’s help of course.”

Matsuda spluttered, having been silent this entire time, rose rising to his cheeks as all the attention turned to him. “W-what?” Light reached for his arm.

 “Come on, we have some projection to do.”

* * *

 

Light was using his shared bedroom as their meditation space, having pushed the bed to one side and dotting the floor with purple candles. The room smelled strongly of jasmine and patchouli, scents that were familiar to him. They triggered something in his mind, a sense that he could see things in another dimension, more deeply than he ever could without their aid. It released his thoughts from the mundane activities of life, he supposed.

 Matsuda awkwardly looked around, being greeted with a slightly annoyed frown.

 “Matsuda, you’ve clearly done this before, so why are you acting so nervous?”

 “My projection isn’t so good…” He trailed off, giving Light a sad smile. “I don’t want to disappoint you.”

 “Together, our power will be amplified. Just consider yourself an extra battery pack.” He tried to reassure the older man, in which he was rewarded with a weak grin. Lacing their fingers together, the pair sat crossed legged on the soft floor, facing each other. Closing his eyes, Light murmured softly.

 "Divine beings of the air, allow us your power. As your pupils we respect you, and seek to master the knowledge you can provide.” Matsuda nodded to the words, somewhat impressed. A draught seemed to have stimulated in the room, a soft breeze that gently tickled his cheek, lightly caressing.

 “We request to see the location of our friend who is in danger, Misa Amane. This violation of privacy is warranted by the severe threat she is under, and my obligation to protect her.” Light continued, beginning to feel light headed. It was like his mind was descending into a mist-like state, barely able to focus or feel his body around him. In that moment, time had lost its essence.

 “Allow us to help her.” With the words, he could feel himself floating, slowly drifting away from Matsuda, from the world itself. At a soft speed, he could feel himself being pulled towards the south-west, an undeniable urge that made him follow this path. Like a puppet, he was being guided to Amane. Cracking one eye open, he could see flares of bright colours; earthy browns, vibrant crimsons, mellow blues and gentle whites which dotted the landscape. But as he grew closer to his destination, the colours began to blur, fading into a dingy mess of grey, gravitating around a single point. Amongst the decrepit sludge was a sole blue light, blinking faintly. A sense of dread filled him the closer he grew to the area.

_Misa must be here, I can’t be afraid._

The world was slowing, dragging itself into focus as he found himself nearing the entrance of a bland, concrete building. It was fronted with a wooden sign, reading _B &B, open 24/7!_ But it looked about as lively as a morgue. Well, on the surface anyway. The gaping grey ooze seemed to be stemming from below the building, under its foundation. The B&B itself appeared to be closed, if the smashed up windows and lack of customers were any indication. That wasn’t what he was interested in, however.

_I wonder if I can just walk right in._

Carefully, he began extending his hand, expecting to meet the hard concrete barrier the further he leaned forward. Yet his fingers protruded straight through the material, as if he was simply pushing a piece of paper out of his way. Deciding that yes, he could just walk right in, he phased through the wall, the pull towards the blue light now an irresistible yank. Even if he hadn’t wanted to, Light had no choice but to seek out its source.

He noted that one of the slate tiles was askew, not matching the pattern of the rest of them in the derelict room. A false floor – that would explain all the activity coming from below the building itself. They were underground? Carefully, he slipped through the tiles, finding himself in a dimly lit room. There Misa sat, completely bound and tied, whimpering to herself. A blonde man stood in the corner, drumming his fingers against the chains that decorated his belt. Unbeknownst to him, both Light and Rem were currently watching over the water priestess.

“Misa, Light is here in spirit.” Rem called out softly, and something in Misa’s dulled eyes brightened slightly, trying to contain the excitement in her voice.

“You won’t get away with this, Kira will come here and kill you.” She announced, trying to spit in the man’s direction. But he only rolled his eyes.

“I doubt that.” Was all he said, snorting at her. She smirked back.

“Oh yeah? You’re just a stupid element-less brat, you’ve got nothing on Kira!” Her face lit with triumph, clearly trying to rile the man. It was working, for the most part.

“You have no idea what sort of power we have.” He threatened, drawing a blade from his pocket. He touched it lightly against her throat, and she swallowed against it, unfazed.

“You’ll see. I’ll kill you myself.” She whispered, staring into his eyes, daring him to hurt her. She knew he couldn’t – wouldn’t harm her – because she was the only leverage they had. When the man stepped back, she poked her tongue out at him, jeering.

“Ha ha! Mello is stupid and has no affinity!”

“Shut the fuck up!” The harsh thwack to Misa’s chin stunned Light as the room fell silent, blood dribbling from Misa’s pale lips. He huffed, muttering under his breath as he sheathed his blade and leaned against the stone walls, arms folded.

“Kira better show up for this bitch...”

_Mello, eh? Who’s guarding your hideout?_ Phasing through the metal door and away from the unconscious Misa, Light decided to scope out the rest of the underground chambers. For the most part, it was incredibly simple; one way in, and only one way out. The stairs that led to the broken tile were dotted with dark crimson gems, studding the walls as someone would head down. A couple of men and women alike wandered around the floor, the sole room being the cell Misa was being contained in. They were clearly heavily armed with guns and bulletproof vests - That was to be expected, honestly. After all, even with an affinity, Light didn’t think anyone was immune to bullets.

“I’ve seen enough Matsuda, take me out.” And with a snap he was whisked away, thrown backwards into what seemed to be a spiralling vortex, returning to the hotel room with a harsh thud. His vision swam, falling forwards as he tried to adjust to the sudden return. Fuck, that hurt.

“S-sorry Light! I rushed it…” He apologised nervously as Light rubbed at his eyes, squinting at the artificial lights. Attempting to stand, he swayed, staggering forward and clutching to Matsuda for support. His breathing came raggedly, deprived of oxygen from the adjustment.

“Never… do that again.” He stammered out, trying to wipe the sweat from his forehead. “But we got what we needed.” Matsuda nodded eagerly, keen to hear the plan Light had been formulating from his scouting.

“We’ll attack tonight.”

* * *

 

“So we all know the plan?” L asked the group, being met with nods. Soichiro took it on himself to repeat it back to the group, in case anyone had forgotten.

“The police will be stationed in proximity to the building, but we can’t risk them infiltrating further in case they are spotted. Considering the underground entrance is lined with what seems to be bloodstone, we can assume that anyone who enters the basement will be unable to access their powers. Therefore, Light, L and myself will head the group to retrieve Misa, as we have the best combat skills. Be prepared for open fire in close quarters, and at all costs, make sure anyone who exits and enters that building can be apprehended. ” He summarised. The group seemed ready, except Light who seemed uncharacteristically nervous. Of course L had noticed, gently pulling them both to one side.

“What’s wrong? Is there something we’ve overlooked?” He whispered softly, placing a hand on his companion’s shoulder. Light nodded, worry clear on his expression.

“I don’t like that you’re coming with us. You’re the spearhead of our investigation, it’s far too risky to have you on the front lines.” He murmured back, covering L’s palm with his own and giving it a small squeeze. L smiled at him.

“If anything, you’re far more valuable than I am.” He pointed out. “This investigation doesn’t live and die with me. Besides, the death spirit would kill both of us if we don’t go.”

Distress was now obvious on Light’s face as he closed the distance between them, whispering directly into L’s ear.

“I can’t afford to lose you, L.” And the man’s breathing hitched, checking they were away from the prying eyes of the Task Force.  Then the Detective was smiling, not faltering as he made his decision.

“Then we’ll look out for each other, together.” Light pulled him into a tight hug, reluctant to agree. L used the moment to run his fingers through the soft caramel locks, soothing the both of them.

“I just- I don’t want to go down there, and find I can’t protect you.” Light protested, holding onto the Detective as if at any moment he would disappear, that the person who he had rapidly grown to care for would slip through his fingers.

“Then trust me, we can do this.”

Reluctantly stepping back, L addressed the group, who luckily for them had been paying no attention to them up until then.

“Are we prepared to leave? We should strike as soon as possible, as they will be expecting us closer to the deadline.” Matsuda jumped to his feet.

“Let’s rescue Misa Misa!”

And it was with that cheery statement that Light finally returned their smiles, relaxing from the tense pressure and posture he’d felt all day. He’d make the rescue mission work, appease Beyond, and stamp out the anti-Kira sentiment before it really flared to life.

If anyone could do it, it was him and L.

* * *

 

Parking a fair distance away from the abandoned building, L, Light and Soichiro ducked out of the unmarked car Watari had been driving. Silently indicating to the various groups of cloaked officers, they collectively surrounded the BnB. One of the officers had taken the liberty to use their affinity to mask the loud noises of their footsteps, especially on the myriad of brambles and twigs that littered the path to the derelict building. L beckoned for them to move closer, with a majority of the officers using the twisting vines to manipulate them into a trap, should any suspects escape.

Turning to face his partner, L’s gaze met the determined stare of the acolyte, solely fixated on the entrance to the building. It was no question that they had to succeed, especially with both of their lives on the line. But something about Light’s demeanour disturbed him – maybe it was the hard lines that had etched themselves onto his skin, the way his jaw had set in a firm line as he gritted his teeth, or the wisps of angry, furious energy that seeped from his pores, placing L’s body in a constant state of tension. Either way, the gentle man he knew was deeply buried at the moment.

“Let’s go, L.” Light whispered, taking the lead as he crept up to the flimsy looking wooden door, saturated with mould. L remained close behind, with Soichiro deciding to stand guard outside the entrance. L’s hands ghosted around the loaded gun he’d shoved in his pocket when the acolyte tapped the door, peeking inside as it swung open with ease. Like he’d seen before, the ground floor was abandoned. Catching L’s black hair in the corner of his vision, Light held up a hand to halt his motions. Stiffening, L complied as Light closed his eyes.

“Amane is still tied up. But something’s wrong-” He started, before the trap door was sent careering into the gungy concrete walls. Light had to bite back bile as the stench of death filtered into his nostrils, invading his senses. It wasn’t the fact that someone had clearly come before them that disturbed Light. No, it was the crumpled arm that was still attached to the trap door, the severed limb continuing to spurt fresh pools of blood. Only one person could’ve shredded the ligament so cleanly…

“Ryuzaki, you need to-“ And it was in that moment that his lungs constricted, the air in his body being slowly forced out of his lips. Strong arms tried to catch him as he fell to his knees, desperately trying to hold on to the oxygen that was seeping away. He could feel his eyes bulge as crimson ones met his own, wild brown hair soaked- no, _matted_ – with blood poking out of the trapdoor entrance. The man grinned lazily at L, using the severed hand to scratch his back as he spoke boredly.

It was then that Light realised that Beyond wouldn’t hesitate to kill him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

“Call off your police dogs, or the acolyte dies.” L had no choice but to comply, the increasingly blue tinge to Light’s face only adding to the urgency of the request. He pulled out his phone, sending a text to Watari to ask the police to back off. The sounds of cars driving away was the only confirmation that they had complied with his demand. Beyond released his choke hold on Light, just enough so the boy could get his breath back but nothing more. L stared at him venomously.

“No need to look so pissed.” He commented casually, trying to aggravate the Detective further. “Shall we make a deal? I’ll take pretty boy and the hostage out of here, and you get to leave with your life intact.” L’s arm tightened around Light, who was still sputtering and gasping uselessly as the Detective reached for his loaded gun, aiming it at Beyond. The latter’s face fell in mock disappointment.

“Oh, that’s cute. You think you still have a chance of bargaining here? Do you not remember the last time you tried to tame me?” L’s hand fastened on the trigger, aiming at Beyond’s abdomen. This wasn’t a bloodstone bullet. No, his gun was loaded with actual metal bullets, and he knew he could do enough damage to incapacitate Beyond. Despite his tolerance to bloodstone, he knew that the spirit caller must still be affected by its presence, enough to weaken his body and any potential regeneration. Beyond saw L’s thought process reflect in his dark eyes, and he leaned forward, throwing the bloodied arm away.

“C’mon, you know you want to shoot me. And when you do, I’ll survive whilst the two of you  rot here.” He cooed, holding his arms out and exposing his chest, as if begging the Detective to fire at him. And L would have, if a small rasp hadn’t stopped him.

_“Don’t.”_

L felt a soft hand cover his own as Light convulsed, shaking from the asphyxiation. The boy had managed to prise L’s fingers away from the trigger, face blanched and drained. He turned his attention to the acolyte, all hostile intent draining from his expression as he saw Light was barely conscious from being starved of oxygen. He then realised that the bloodstone was affecting Light, and he was completely powerless to defend himself.  
  
He needed to protect him; he’d sworn it.

L only lowered the gun slightly as a sign of conceding, gently manoeuvring his body so he was shielding the acolyte from Beyond’s predatory glare. He now spoke calmly to his enemy, seeing reason.

“Take me instead, and leave Light alone. I know I’m the one you really want.” There was a cry of protest from behind him, but he ignored it, solely focusing on the murderer in front of him. Beyond cocked his head to one side, raising his hands in mock defeat.

“Well, you do know me better than anyone else Lawli. I’m happy to take you instead, but will you really die for this boy?” He challenged, a low, primal grin spreading across his features. “Will you stop running from fate? You are destined to fall at my hand.”

And as L stared down at the acolyte he had come to care about so swiftly, he couldn’t help but curse himself for the inevitable. He had always known it would boil down to this, that one day he would be at the mercy of the monster he created, but he hadn’t expected it to be so soon. He was cornered, and he had to decide whose life had more value: Light’s or his own.

He didn’t even need to think about it: It was always going to be Light.  
  
 Anyone could be L, but nobody could replace Light’s gift – he was the key to ending this deadly cat and mouse game.

“I surrender.” He barely whispered, disarming the gun and letting it drop to the stone tiles with a harsh clack. Beyond’s manic laughter reached his ears first, before a clawed hand outstretched to beckon the Detective to leave with his enemy, abandoning the acolyte behind him. As he tried to squirm his way out of Light’s grasp, he found he simply couldn’t- Light was holding him back.

“Don’t be a-an idiot.” The younger male gasped, clinging to L with all the strength that he had. He refused to let L walk off with this monster, to sacrifice himself for his sake. He wouldn’t allow it, and he wouldn’t forgive L if he was just going to give up right here and now.

“I can d-deal with what Beyond throws at me. You need to live. _Please_.” His eyes silently begged L not to run to his certain death, to not desert him and the rest of the Task Force.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that Sweetheart.” Beyond murmured off-handedly, making L bristle with his impending decision. He knew Light was speaking logically, but he couldn’t bring himself to let the acolyte go. He’d promised mere hours ago that he would ensure Light’s safety, yet here the boy was using his own life as a bargaining chip. But the resolute determination in the boy’s brown eyes was what made him take a small step back, realising that Light didn’t need him to protect the acolyte. For once, Light needed to protect the Detective.

A small nod was all Light needed to see to know that the Detective had accepted his decision. Struggling to his feet, his knees almost collapsed as his whole body heaved and shook at the exertion. But he used his remaining energy to wrap L in the tightest hug he could muster, the unfamiliar prick of tears stinging at his eyelids. L used the moment to breathe in the earthy scent of his companion, sighing into the embrace.

“ _Trust me_.”  
  
The words L had used earlier were echoed back to him, as he had to suppress a small choked sob at what Light was doing for him. He instantly regretted bringing Light into this mess; he was innocent, and at the beginning L had only seen him as a means to an end, a way of beating Beyond at his own game. But Light was worth so much more than that, and he hated that he’d been so selfish. Light was probably going to lose his life at his own insistence, and L was completely powerless to stop him. They could keep arguing, but it would be futile. L knew one way or another, Light would end up leaving with Beyond today, the acolyte wouldn’t allow it to be any other way.

Resignation overwhelmed his mind as he pulled back to study the boy’s face one last time. All he saw was resolve in the tired features, a deadpan seriousness that meant Light knew what he was getting himself into for L. He couldn’t help but press his lips delicately to Light’s, a restrained, yet urgent kiss that tried to describe everything that he felt in that moment: his shame, regret, disgust that he’d allowed the situation to come to this. But Light’s responsive lips were only soothing, comforting before they slowly broke apart. The acolyte painfully broke away from the Detective, turning to Beyond and reaching out to him with a frail hand.

“I’ll come back for you, L.” He insisted as the murderer latched ahold of him, sending flares of pain down his sides from the sudden contact. Beyond had watched their whole exchange in curious silence, but now he was bored.

“That was sickeningly cute. I’ll take good care of your toy, Lawli.” He spoke with an obvious smirk across his face as he began to descend the stairs with the acolyte literally tucked under his arm.

_Bang._

Blood began to spurt out of Beyond’s forearm as the bullet made contact with his flesh. L hadn’t even thought about what he’d just done, he had been overwhelmed by the need to show Beyond that he hadn’t quite won yet, and that he wasn’t going to give up. L was not broken like the murderer wanted him to be, far from it. He would raggedly pursue the older man until he was brought to justice. L would stop him by any means necessary.

“That wasn’t very nice.” Beyond pouted as he continued regardless, knowing the best way to crawl under L’s skin was to pretend that there wasn’t agonising pain trailing up his arms as he continued to carry the now-unconscious acolyte, and to appear impervious to the Detective’s actions. “Bye-bye now.” And with that he threw the trapdoor over his head, leaving L on the surface as he made his escape. He silently snorted at the fact that he’d used his earth powers to tunnel another entrance into the underground rooms, and not even the anti-Kira supporters had bothered to consider that he could do that. Brainless fools.

But Beyond wasn’t particularly fazed by anything at the moment- with Misa and Light firmly back in his possession, his plan had been executed perfectly, and L was a damaged man.

* * *

 

 “We found a tunnel that Kira must’ve used to enter and escape with the hostages. Misa’s kidnappers underestimated his ability to manipulate the earth and cause their cavern to totally collapse on one side. The official statement will be that Misa was retrieved from the Anti-Kira faction, and that she is in protective custody. We’ll also let them know that the culprit is now in our possession, awaiting questioning. The media must not know of our failure.” Soichiro spoke gravely to the police force, who had technically done what had been asked of them – to ensure that Misa was no longer under threat by the Anti-Kira supporters. The media didn’t need to be aware that she’d been captured by Kira instead, and he was probably stronger than ever. No, the public needed to have faith in their Task Force, as well as the rest of the police.

And the man called Mello had been apprehended, albeit in critical condition. It seemed that Beyond had lodged the bloodstone rocks into the kidnapper’s body, piercing it in multiple places. His wounds were severe, but he would be ready to question in a couple of days.

However, none of this was a relief to L, who simply sat amongst the other Task Force members but not listening. He was deep in a pit of his own misery, his own stupidity as he realised what he’d just done, and the fatal assumption he had made during his exchange with Beyond.

Beyond had never been after him.

He couldn’t see this at the time, too clouded by his regret and concern for the acolyte beside him. He couldn’t realise that the game Beyond had been playing with him was not simply petty revenge, a means of getting retribution for what L had done. No, Beyond had bigger plans which involved the acolyte, and he didn’t know what was going to happen now. He’d used the obvious grudge he held against L to conceal his true intentions: To have Light under his control.

For once in his life, L felt hopeless. He missed the warm touch of a certain brown haired man more than ever. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was worth the wait, let me know what you think of the story so far!  
> Poor L... I swear i'll stop abusing him soon... (maybe.)  
> ~Max

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to my fic!
> 
> This is my first piece on Ao3, and I'm a hardened LawLight and BXLight shipper, so expect the plot to thicken very soon...  
> thanks for reading! :)  
> ~Max


End file.
